Dangerous Games
by da1redgem
Summary: She's dating the enemy. Will the Hardys ever forgive her for seeing Chris Jericho? That's a risk she cannot take, so for now, it remains a secret. Mainly Lita and Jericho pairing...
1. Chapter 1

Title: Dangerous Games  
Author: Shantay  
Email: Lita/Jericho, Jeff Hardy/Trish Stratus, Matt Hardy and Christian  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.  
Distribution: Ask first.  
Rating: R  
Summary: She's a good girl. He's a bad guy. They have every reason in the world not to be together but for some reason they can't stay away from each other. As they get closer, it becomes a struggle to keep it a secret and deal with their two completely separate worlds. They end up playing a dangerous game. Mainly Lita/Jericho…  
Spoilers/Notes: This is set back when all of them were still here (wow, can't believe more than half of them are gone now). Jericho and Christian are still a tag team…the bet storyline never happened. Lita is still managing the Hardys…neither the Kane or Edge storyline has happened…and she isn't even dating Matt for that matter.

Warnings: Language, adult situations

**Chapter One**

Chris Jericho groaned as he searched his bag for his shirt. Damn, it was his favorite shirt too. And he remembered specifically grabbing that shirt, folding it up, and packing it in his bag before leaving for the arena. Now, none of his clothes were folded up nicely due to his frustration in trying to find that one shirt. Half of the bag's contents were scattered on the floor around it.

_Okay, breathe Jericho._ He ceased his rampage and sat up, exhaling slowly. It was just a minor setback. He could always go to the ring without one of his signature shirts. He just needed a few minutes to calm down.

Who the hell was he kidding? He dove back into the bag, throwing out the rest of the contents. He groaned loudly.

"What the hell's going on in here?"

Jericho didn't even bother to look at his partner, who had just entered their dressing room. He rose from the couch and turned his search on the rest of the room. "Have you seen my black and white checkered shirt?"

"No. But I've got something even better than that," Christian stated in his usual comical tone. Jericho didn't respond. He had more important matters at hand, as in finding his damn shirt. "What is it you ask? Well…If we win our match tonight, we'll be going on to face the Hardys."

Despite himself, a smirk spread across Jericho's face and he, once again, paused his search. He finally faced his partner. "So, I assume you just came back from Bischoff's office."

Christian stood smugly with his arms crossed proudly over his chest. "You got it. He said that he owes us big time and it's finally time for our big payoff to come."

"Damn right. Otherwise, that assclown might find himself being left victim to the next attack from some wrestler he pisses off."

"Dude, do you know what this means?" Christian asked rhetorically. He began to gesture excitedly with his hands. "We finally get a chance to get our titles back!"

The smile on Jericho's face grew even wider. He thought back to their days as champions. They'd enjoyed an impressive 164-day reign as World Tag Team champions. But then those damn Hardys got lucky and won the titles from them. Jericho sneered at the memory. That was nearly 3 months ago. He and Christian were thrown back in the title hunt with a bunch of talentless losers and it had been far too long since they'd tasted gold.

"Hellooooo?" Jericho snapped out of his trance at the call of the younger blonde Canadian. "Snap out of it dude. We have a match to get ready for. This is a big one." Christian walked over to his best friend and slapped him encouragingly on the back.

That it was. This was just an obstacle in the way to getting back the championships. He just needed to get ready to go out there and do what he did best every week.

"Is this the shirt you were searching so hard for?" Jericho spun around to find Christian holding up the very shirt he had been looking for. He went over to Christian and almost snatched it out of his hand. "How the hell did you miss that? It was right beside the couch."

Who knew? Jericho shrugged. "Whatever, let's go kick some ass." Christian began walking toward the door, but Jericho's voice stopped him.

"Actually, let me meet you in the gorilla." Christian nodded his compliance and headed out the door.

Jericho pulled on his shirt and stood in front of the mirror, observing the man he saw before him. "Do whatever you need to do to win." The championship had come to be the most important thing in his life. Some people would consider it sad, but he didn't care. Wrestling was something he had worked on all his life and all he ever wanted to be was the best. There was one period in his life where he lost focus. He let his attention slip off the prize. He'd followed the advice of other people. _Wrestling is not the most important thing in the world Chris. Get your priorities straight. There's more to life than being a champion in the WWE. _Now, where were they? He'd almost lost everything, following their advice. But now…now, he was back on track. Nothing was going to stop him now. It didn't matter what anyone thought of him. He was going to get what he wanted by any means necessary. And he'd prove them wrong.

His signature grin returned to his face. "You're the King of the World, Jericho. Nothing stands in your way."

He pulled the door open and stepped outside of his room. He groaned as a body collided into his. "Mind watching where you're going?" He turned angrily in the direction of the idiot who hadn't been paying attention to where they walking.

It was none other than the valet of the team he and his partner would be facing the next week. He glared at the redhead angrily. She locked eyes with him for a few moments. Quickly, she made her way around him and continued down the hall without a word. Jericho watched her as she sped down the hall, most likely in an effort to get away from him as quickly as possible. He knew his reputation around the locker room was anything but sterling and she was not about to test the waters with him.

He straightened himself out as she turned the corner and headed down the opposite direction of the corridor.

* * *

Jericho almost jumped himself at the sound of the slap across the chest of the young rookie in the corner. He mocked the pain of the man that was now hunching over in pain. Christian did that cocky pose of his that elicited a wave of boos from the Sacramento crowd. Jericho laughed as Christian hit the man once again.

"You suck Jericho!" The fans always attempted to antagonize him. It'd been happening so long, it didn't even faze him anymore. He turned around and taunted the angry fan. Before he knew it, the entire front row was booing him. If only they knew, it only invigorated him.

Returning his attention to the match, he watched on as Christian elbow dropped the helpless guy in the middle of the ring. The guy's partner looked angry, but not too eager to step in the ring to help out. The moment he'd seen the two men as he stepped onto the ramp, he knew that all the sucking up to Bischoff had finally paid off. Bischoff had hand-delivered two jobbers to the two blonde Canadians. And now they were just messing with the rookies, toying around with their heads. They were using them to send a message to the Hardys.

Christian dragged the helpless victim to their corner and made a tag to his partner. Jericho entered the ring and did a little double-teaming on the young man. This match was pretty much over, but it needed one more touch. Jericho pulled his opponent to the middle of the ring and put him in the Walls of Jericho. It was a matter of minutes before the boy was tapping out weakly. The referee instantly signaled for the bell.

But Jericho couldn't let go. He held the move as that familiar rage filled him. Christian took out the young man's partner with the Unprettier as he attempted to rescue his buddy. The referee struggled to get Jericho to release the hold, but he was in a trance now. The shouts of the referee and jeers of the crowd were fading. This was for everyone that had ever doubted him, everyone that had ever tried to control him, and everyone that had left him. And most of all this was for the Hardy Boys.

Suddenly, the shouts around him became clearer. The boos began to ring his hears. He dropped the man's legs and stood over the damage he'd done. Christian came up behind him, laughing. He grabbed his shoulders. "Boy, you did a number on him." Jericho stood there emotionless as he observed the man who was now seemingly unconscious from the pain. His partner was finally coming to in the corner. "Come on dude," Christian stated as he tapped his friend's shoulder. Jericho was finally able to move from the ring. He walked backwards up the ramp as the chorus of boos rain down upon him.

Another day in his life.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Dangerous Games  
Author: Shantay  
Email: Lita/Jericho, Jeff Hardy/Trish Stratus, Matt Hardy and Christian  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.  
Distribution: Ask first.  
Rating: R  
Summary: She's a good girl. He's a bad guy. They have every reason in the world not to be together but for some reason they can't stay away from each other. As they get closer, it becomes a struggle to keep it a secret and deal with their two completely separate worlds. They end up playing a dangerous game. Mainly Lita/Jericho…  
Spoilers/Notes: This is set back when all of them were still here (wow, can't believe more than half of them are gone now). Jericho and Christian are still a tag team…the bet storyline never happened. Lita is still managing the Hardys…neither the Kane or Edge storyline has happened…and she isn't even dating Matt for that matter.

Warnings: Language, adult situations

**Chapter Two**

"Lita! Where have you been?" She sighed as she closed the dressing room door behind her. But she'd expected this.

"I'm sorry Matt. I was in the women's dressing room a little too long. I lost track of time." It was like talking to an overprotective older brother, which Matt had pretty much come to be. They were already wearing their title belts, so it appeared that they were just waiting for her.

"We were freaking out in here. What if something had happened to you?"

Lita placed her hands on hips and looked to the younger Hardy. He raised his eyebrows, telling her with his expression that he wasn't apart of the apparent "freaking out". Matt's reaction was a little worse than she'd expected. She exhaled loudly. "Look Matt. I'm pretty tough. I think I can take care of myself at least for two hours. You don't have to know where I am at all times."

He calmed down a bit. He reached out and placed concerned hands on her shoulders. His voice lowered dramatically. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little on edge tonight."

She instantly felt guilty. Matt had been stressing all week about this match against Jericho and Christian. And on top of that, with her missing, he'd probably been worrying that they'd tried to send a message to him through her. She watched as he stalked over to the other side of the room. His entire body was tense. There was no way he was going to win a match in his state. She went up behind him and squeezed his shoulders. She leaned in to his ear and said, "Well, I'm okay and you don't need to worry about me anymore. All you have to do now is channel that stress that you're feeling and take it out on Jericho and Christian. You've got this."

Lita stepped back and looked to Jeff. He was just watching on from his seat on the couch. He never seemed to panic about anything. He was always relaxed, maybe too relaxed. She wished that sometimes his passiveness would rub off on Matt some.

Matt finally turned around. His face read a lot more determined and sure. "You're right. We've gotta stay focused. Jericho and Christian are no joke. We have to expect anything from them." Lita smiled. There was the Matt she knew, the team captain, the leader. "Alright. Let's go out there and dominate." He balled his fist and stuck it out. Jeff stood and put his fist in. Lita followed suit. "Team Xtreme!"

Lita led her boys out the dressing room and down the hall, playing it up for the camera at the same time. She knew they could handle this. It was probably going to be their toughest fight in months, but it was all fine. She believed in them.

* * *

Lita leaned onto the ring apron. She hated to admit it but she was starting to get worried. The match had been going on for almost 15 minutes. And still things kept switching back and forth. Just when she thought her guys were finally getting the upperhand, the momentum would change.

"Damn," she muttered as Christian slammed Jeff down onto the mat. Now the bastard was taunting him. Typical Christian. The crowd booed as he showed off over Jeff. She stepped back as he walked past her and sent her a look. Who knew what he was thinking? She wouldn't put anything past him.

He finally decided to return his attention to the match. He ended up putting a sleeper hold on Jeff. That was his way of catching his breath while continuing to keep the Hardy immobilized. Jeff seemed to be fading. This wasn't good at all. Lita pounded her hands on the mat as though he would be revived by the sound. "Come on Jeff!" Her voice was pleading. They'd worked to hard to lose their titles this way. It just couldn't happen.

The redhead turned around and started chanting 'Hardy, Hardy'. The people in the front row willing followed suit and soon the chant spread throughout the arena. She returned her focus to the match, still cheering his name. As the referee lifted and released his arm for the third time, her heart almost sank. But mere inches away from the mat, his arm shot back up in the air. She jumped for joy and looked at Matt who whispered, "Phew."

Jeff fought out of the hold and turned the tables on Christian. He got in a kick that knocked Christian down. Both men struggled to reach their respective corners. Lita jumped as they each made the tag and Jericho and Matt hit the ring. She could almost feel each blow they exchanged. She had reached the point where she wanted this win just as much as each Hardy. She froze as Jericho suddenly took Matt down and put him in the Walls of Jericho.

Oh God…there was that look again. It was something she'd been noticing over the past few weeks. It was like he was in this trance. He had this far-off look. And even though he was yelling, it was like he wasn't even there. It was terrifying to see.

Matt had somehow managed to get to the ropes. But Jericho wouldn't release the hold. He was still in that trance. He wasn't going to let go. Just as the referee was about to reach the 5-count where he would disqualify him, Christian knocked Matt's hand off the rope, allowing Jericho to pull him back to the center of the ring.

Lita laced her hands through her hair, pulling it back to the point that it almost felt like she was going to rip it out. What an asshole! She watched in horror as Jeff dropped down and ran around the ring to attack Christian. But that didn't help what was happening in the center of the ring. She could see that Matt was on the verge of giving up. Her yells to him weren't having any effect.

"Ring the bell! Ring the bell!"

Lita shook her head in disbelief. She placed her hand on her chest, trying to ease the pain that was going through her heart. Matt had passed out from the pain, but he never gave up. Everything seemed to move in a blur as she heard the announcement…

"Your winners and new World Tag Team Championships…Chris Jericho and Christian!"

The redhead couldn't help the overwhelming urge to march over there and slap the taste out of Lillian's mouth. She liked the girl and she knew it wasn't her fault, but she was so furious. She watched on as the referee tried to pry Jericho off of Matt to no avail. It was like a replay of the past week. Jericho seemed like he didn't even realize that he had won. He was holding on with every ounce of energy in him.

The entire scene was chaotic. Christian and Jeff were still fighting on the outside. The referee was struggling to break Jericho's hold. Out the corner of her eye, she could see Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler giving bewildered commentary on the scene before them. The crowd was going nuts, throwing stuff in the ring now. But she couldn't get her mind off Jericho's psychotic stupor. God…he was gonna break Matt's back if he didn't stop.

She heard the sickening thud as Christian threw Jeff into the ring steps. Jeff was knocked out. He couldn't help his brother. Christian slid in the ring and stared at his partner. From what Lita could see, even he seemed to be a little shocked by Jericho's demeanor. He slapped at Jericho's arm. Even he knew that if this went on any longer, the referee might reverse the decision. And boy, did she wish he would do just that.

Jericho finally seemed to be returning to reality. He dropped Matt's legs and stood up. He simply stared at his work, just like he'd done last week. The referee had finally gone to get the title belts and instantly returned to the ring with them in hand. Good, maybe they would get out of the ring once they got what they wanted. Christian took the belts and raised his partner's hand in victory much to the crowd's chagrin.

This was beyond disappointing. The boys had wanted this win so badly. There had always been a rivalry between the two teams. But Matt and Jeff just wanted to show them once and for all that they were the better men. Instead, her boys lay unconscious and decimated. And the two arrogant blonde Canadians stood proudly in the ring. There was no telling what damage had been done to the Hardys.

After some time, Christian finally left the ring. Jericho surveyed the scene with that same solemn look for a few seconds then turned to make his exit. She couldn't wait any longer. She needed to make sure her boys were okay. As soon as Jericho began to step through the ropes, she was in the ring preparing to go check on Matt. She was one second too early.

Jericho had turned around and caught sight of her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and began to back away slowly. He stalked forward. _Shit_, Lita thought as her back hit the turnbuckle. There was nowhere else to go. And there was no telling what Jericho was planning to do. He closed the distance until he was so close she could almost feel the heat emanating from his body.

She didn't dare break eye contact with him. For some reason, she couldn't if she wanted to. His breathing was heavy as he just stared at her. She fought to read his eyes to decipher whatever malicious thoughts must have been running through his mind. In the background she could hear Jim Ross's angry rant. "What is Jericho about to do that young woman? He's a monster. Jericho is sick. Someone help that poor woman! Never in my life have I been so disgusted!" And she could tell that Jericho was hearing it as well. She released the breath she'd been holding as Jericho began to back away from her. She was so confused. She didn't move until he had exited the ring.

What had just happened? Jericho had just spared her. And she could have sworn that for a millisecond, she saw a little bit of weakness in his eyes. As she sat there in the middle of the ring on her knees by Matt's lifeless body, she couldn't break the gaze that she held with Jericho as he walked up the ramp.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Dangerous Games  
Author: Shantay  
Email: Lita/Jericho, Jeff Hardy/Trish Stratus, Matt Hardy and Christian  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.  
Distribution: Ask first.  
Rating: R  
Summary: She's a good girl. He's a bad guy. They have every reason in the world not to be together but for some reason they can't stay away from each other. As they get closer, it becomes a struggle to keep it a secret and deal with their two completely separate worlds. They end up playing a dangerous game. Mainly Lita/Jericho…  
Spoilers/Notes: This is set back when all of them were still here (wow, can't believe more than half of them are gone now). Jericho and Christian are still a tag team…the bet storyline never happened. Lita is still managing the Hardys…neither the Kane or Edge storyline has happened…and she isn't even dating Matt for that matter. And in this story, Lita and Jericho didn't know each other before WWE.

Warnings: Language, adult situations

"Hey sweetie! How are you? I've been trying to reach you all week." Trish Stratus ran up to her best friend in the hallway. Once she reached her, she placed a comforting hand on the redhead's shoulder. Lita wasn't her usual self for obvious reasons. She barely looked up when Trish spoke to her.

"I'm fine. Sorry about that. I've kind of been taking care of Matt all week. He's in pretty bad shape."

"I'm sure." Trish couldn't believe the way Jericho had practically tortured him last week. "How are they dealing with the loss?"

Lita sighed. "Jeff's coming to terms with it. He's more determined than ever. And of course…Matt's being all hard on himself. He's kind of depressed. He feels like he lost it for the team. I think he's having a really hard time handling that loss and the injury to his back."

"How bad is it?"

"They bandaged him up at the hospital and put him on some meds for the pain. He's been pretty sore all week." There was a brief moment of silence as each woman tried to comprehend the events of the past week. "It's so weird being here without them. It kind of sucks."

Trish rubbed Lita's back soothingly. "Look at it this way. They're getting much needed rest. They need to take a break and heal so they can be on top of their game for their rematch. Maybe you should be doing the same thing. Why are you here? You don't have a match or anything."

Just as Lita opened her mouth to answer, she looked over the little blonde's shoulder and caught sight of the man who'd been plaguing her thoughts the entire past week. She quickly caught herself and returned her attention to Trish. Sliding off the table she'd been sitting on, she responded, "I have business I have to take care of." That statement left Trish completely bewildered. But Lita couldn't help that right now. "Trish, let me meet you in your dressing room, okay?"

"Sure, but are you positive that you're okay?" Lita nodded vigorously.

"Yes, positive. I'll be there in a few." Lita plastered a fake smile on her face. Anything to get Trish to go. Trish finally seemed to comply and walked around Lita. The redhead watched her best friend walk away until she was out of sight. Then she turned her sight back on Jericho. He stood in the gorilla, watching a television monitor. Her legs felt like lead as she began to take slow steps toward him.

_What are you doing Lita_, she thought to herself. Was she crazy? Who knew what this man would do if she said something to him? But for some reason, she was willing to take the risk.

She stepped up right beside him and crossed her arms over her chest confidently and defiantly. She inhaled as Jericho turned to face her.

"Yes?" He asked nastily.

Lita stood tall. She was not about to let him intimidate her. She pressed her lips together as she stared into his cold blue eyes. He gave her an up and down glance and mirrored her pose.

"Maybe you didn't quite understand me," he stated slowly with a dark tone. "What do you want?"

She blinked a couple of times. She was having second thoughts about this whole thing. This was insane. What was she thinking going over to talk to Jericho? He was probably going to tear her apart right there. But she didn't back away for one second. Besides, she hadn't even really had a clue what she was going to say when she came up to him. She just couldn't help coming over when she saw him.

He suddenly dropped his arms and started laughing. She was definitely perturbed but she didn't crack. That's probably what he wanted. She was going to stand right there. That laugh…it wasn't anything she expected. It was almost like he was nervous.

He finally stopped laughing and returned his attention to her. "Oh, I get it." He sounded amused. "You're upset about what we did to your precious Hardy Boys last week, right? But surely, _surely_, you didn't think that you could intimidate me into feeling bad about it. No…no way. You seem a little smarter than that. So, there's got to be another reason why you're over here."

Jericho moved a little closer to her and it was like dejavu. But this time was slightly different. His eyes were softer, holding her gaze. She couldn't look anywhere else even if she wanted to. That smug smirk was gone from his face. She stiffened as he reached up and softly stroked her face with the back of his fingers. Her heart was beating a mile a minute as she almost leaned into his touch. She didn't now what to do as he slowly leaned in. She never broke their gaze as the distance closed. Just short of their lips meeting, he paused.

"If you want the King of the World to rock your world, all you have to do is say something baby."

Lita nearly snarled as the self-proclaimed King of the World laughed again and backed away from her. She couldn't help the burning sensation in her eyes and the pained feeling that ran through her chest. "Asshole."

"You don't know the half of it."

She sent him a look to kill before turning around and walking away from him. What a conceited son-of-a-bitch! She should have expected that. That was just like the Jericho she'd come to know over the past couple of years. But something inside of her had been hoping for something more. What exactly she didn't know. But deep in her gut, she had felt that approaching him would be a little different this time around. So much for that.

"Hey. Where ya been?" Christian asked as he was packing all of his items back into his bag.

"I was just checking out some of the matches on the monitor out in the gorilla." Jericho stepped further into the room, placing his hands on his hips. "Get this. Lita came up to me out of nowhere."

Christian looked up with a bemused look on his face. "Oh really? What possessed her to come to you?"

Jericho shrugged. "I have no idea. She didn't really say. But she was clearly upset about the way we beat down the Hardys last week."

The other blonde Canadian chuckled. "Oh yeah. Good times."

Jericho leaned against a locker. "But it was weird. There was this moment where we got really close and we were about to kiss." They'd been so close. He'd inhaled her sweet scent, something he hadn't expected the rebellious redhead to prefer. And he'd observed the shape of her plush, soft lips, looking so eager to be kissed. And maybe he was crazy, but it seemed like she wouldn't have exactly objected to being kissed.

"Oh yeah?" Jericho looked over and caught the slightly bewildered look on Christian's face.

He stood up off the lockers. "Yeah, but then I made some smart remark about her wanting to have sex with me."

Christian grinned. "She must have been pissed."

"Yeah, she called me an asshole and stormed off."

"You have quite a way with the ladies," Christian joked as he zipped up his bag and threw it onto his shoulder. Jericho gave a small laugh as he looked off. "But speaking of the ladies, how about we hit the club around the corner tonight. We never celebrated our title win properly last week. Besides, it's been a while since you've hooked up with a chick."

Jericho exhaled. "What the hell…let's go." He grabbed his stuff out of his locker and left with Christian.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Dangerous Games  
Author: Shantay  
Email: Lita/Jericho, Jeff Hardy/Trish Stratus, Matt Hardy and Christian  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.  
Distribution: Ask first.  
Rating: R  
Summary: She's a good girl. He's a bad guy. They have every reason in the world not to be together but for some reason they can't stay away from each other. As they get closer, it becomes a struggle to keep it a secret and deal with their two completely separate worlds. They end up playing a dangerous game. Mainly Lita/Jericho…  
Spoilers/Notes: This is set back when all of them were still here (wow, can't believe more than half of them are gone now). Jericho and Christian are still a tag team…the bet storyline never happened. Lita is still managing the Hardys…neither the Kane or Edge storyline has happened…and she isn't even dating Matt for that matter. And in this story, Lita and Jericho didn't know each other before WWE.

Warnings: Language, adult situations

"Listen, Matt...I know how badly you want to come back. But please listen to Jeff. It's not going to do either one of you any good if you come here in the condition you're in. I honestly can't believe Jeff's being the reasonable one here." Lita shifted her weight to the other leg as she listened to Matt's tirade. "I completely understand. But I'm here at the meeting. I'll tell you whatever goes down…Matt, you really have to stop worrying about me like that. I'll be fine…Yeah, I know, but I have a feeling they won't do anything to me. Besides I'm just hanging out with Trish, staying away from trouble." Lita rolled her eyes. This guy was hopeless. "Forget that, okay? Take it easy. Heal up. In no time you'll be back and ready for your rematch. Just be glad Bischoff even gave you guys this time off…Okay Matt. I have to go though. The meeting's about to start…I promise I'll be careful…Gotcha...Talk to you later."

Lita snapped the phone shut gratefully. Matt could be a little overbearing sometimes. But she knew it was all well-intentioned. She turned into the large conference room that held all of the Raw superstars. Spotting Trish Stratus, she went and sat beside her.

"Was that Matt?"

"How did you know?" Lita asked sarcastically. "He just really needs to relax. He's so eager to get back here. And he's always worried about me. I just wish he would take a chill pill sometimes." Lita scanned the room and stopped on Chris Jericho, who was casually chatting it up with Christian. A wave of disgust ran through her.

"Don't worry. Matt and Jeff are gonna kick their asses when they get back."

"I sure hope so."

"Ladies and gentleman, please direct your attention up here." Bischoff stood in the center of the room, in front of every single Raw superstar and it was clear that he thought he was the most important thing in the room at the moment. "As you know, we're meeting to discuss the matches for Backlash, which is in less than two weeks. I'm expecting you all to be on top of your game for the pay-per-view. We're trying to bring in as much revenue as possible people."

Lita listened on as he went down the list of planned matches for the pay-per-view. She glanced across the room to catch Jericho looking at her. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, before returning her attention to the general manager.

"Chris Jericho and Christian will be defending their Tag Team titles in a rematch against the Hardys. Lita, tell your boys to be in top shape for the match. I wouldn't want them to…hurt themselves." Bischoff gave that hideous smile of his. Lita mocked him, smiling back. Of course he didn't care what happened to them. He just didn't want his damn pay-per-view to be hindered in any way.

Lita zoned out, thinking about her interaction with Jericho in the past couple of weeks. Something about him seemed strange. Sure, he was a bonafide jackass. But in the past two weeks, she'd gotten glimpses of something else. It was something that had intrigued her. Maybe that's what had driven her to approach him the past week. It wasn't just the two encounters that had caught her attention either. She'd been noticing Jericho for a few weeks. He was a mystery to her. But maybe he was a mystery she shouldn't be trying to solve if she knew what was good for her.

"Alright. Everyone go get ready. We have a show to put on."

"Look, I'm gonna go discuss my tag team match with Torrie. God knows she's gonna need a lot of help before we go out there. Are you still going out with all the girls tonight?"

Lita's face wrinkled as she remembered the plans that'd been made for the night. "I don't think so. I'm not really feeling up to it tonight. I'll probably just hit the sack early."

Trish reached out and squeezed her friend's arm. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just don't really want to go out tonight. That's all." Trish made a questioning, concerned face. "Positive Trish. It's okay. I'll see you later." The tiny blonde finally turned away without another word.

It was time to get out of there. Lita headed for the door. Just what she needed. Jericho was standing beside the door, leaning with a foot pressed against the wall. She really wasn't in the mood for another confrontation with him. Perhaps she could get out of the room without him noticing. But that would probably be impossible since everyone around him was clearing the area.

Jericho smirked as he saw Lita approaching. She was trying not to look at him. It seemed that she still wasn't over their little confrontation the past week. Maybe he would just mess with her a little bit.

As she was just about to pass him, he blurted out, "Don't be embarrassed to talk to me babe. I'll still give you that one night you want."

Lita froze dead in her tracks as she was just past him. He watched the remaining superstars walk past her, out the door. He wished he could see the look on her face now. He enjoyed knocking her off her high horse. She backtracked and stepped in front of him. Much to his surprise, she had an amused expression on her face.

"I might just take you up on that offer."

Jericho chuckled. So, she was going to play along. "I'll make it really wild for you since you like things to be…extreme."

Lita smirked. "Baby, you don't know just how extreme I can be." She moved in closer. "How about I come over tonight and show you?"

She was good. He stared at her for a few moments as she bit on her bottom lip, teasing him with her eyes. And he couldn't help but be slightly aroused. "If you cross those tracks, you won't want to go back. I promise you that."

The redhead looked down. She then ran her hands up his abs and chest. "Is that a yes or no?"

He pursed his lips. "Why don't you give me a knock and see?"

She narrowed her eyes and nodded. Then she snaked her arms up around his neck and pressed her chest against his. She leaned in and grazed her lips against his. As she pulled away, she peaked out her tongue and slowly licked her top lip. She smiled devilishly as she walked away from him. Jericho turned his head to the side and watched her walk away. Now, he most certainly didn't know what to expect from her.

Jericho flipped through the channels as he lay on his hotel bed. Over 100 channels on cable, and he still couldn't find a damn thing on the television. He clicked it off and placed the remote on the nightstand. He was just going to call it a night. He got under the covers and rested his head on the pillow. Just as he closed his eyes there was a knock at the door.

Christian had probably gotten wasted again and decided it would be a good idea to disturb Jericho's sleep. He threw the covers off and looked at the clock. It was 1:21 in the morning. Christian wasn't going to hear the end of this. Even though he hadn't actually been sleeping, he could have been. He stood groggily and sauntered over to the door. He pulled it open and froze in place.

"You look surprised to see me."

He couldn't say a word as he stared at the sexy redhead. Was she actually there?

"Are you gonna let me in?" He willed himself to let go of the door and step out of the way. She entered the room and he closed the door. "For the first time in your life you actually have nothing to say." She spun on her heels and faced him. He eyed her carefully. There she stood in a beater and shorts and she'd never looked better.

What was he doing? He needed to shake this off. She was just trying to throw him off his game. "So you decided to take up my offer?"

She scanned him from head to toe and finally met his eyes again. "I guess I just couldn't resist."

Jericho laughed to himself. So, this was how it was going to be? Well, he was about to make things interesting. He stepped up to her, challenging her. "What are you going to do about it?" They stared at each other in silence. There were just a couple of inches separating them now. And it was her turn to make a move. "Well Lita, what's it gonna be?"

They were playing a dangerous game now. And neither of them was willing to lose. She eyed him defiantly. It was taking her too long to do something. He knew she was going to back down. And oddly enough, Jericho found that slightly disappointing.

Suddenly, she pressed against him. She raked her hand through his hair and pulled him in for a rough kiss. He placed his hands on her waist. They took their aggression out on each other's mouths. It hurt but he didn't want to stop. He attacked her tongue with his as she fought back. She abruptly ended the kiss and, as she was about to pull away, she bit down on his lip just hard enough to make it sting. He reached up and touched his lip. The look in her eyes dared him to follow up.

He forcefully gripped her waist and pulled her in for another kiss. He slowly glided his hands up her sides and moved them to her front over her breasts. He lingered there for a few seconds before harshly squeezing down on one of them.

She pushed him back and peered at him. Her chest rose heavily with each breath. He raised his eyebrows with a sneer on his face. Her eyes suddenly grew dark. She pushed him back into the door and instantly covered his mouth with hers. She brought her knee up between his legs and rubbed it against him, eliciting a deep groan from him. As she set her leg down, she slid her hand down between them and cupped him. She rubbed at him for a while until he grew stiffer in his boxers. She reached further back and clasped down tightly, causing him to gasp into her mouth. She held on as he pressed his head back against the wall and bit down on his lip, trying to take the pain. After a couple moments she released him and stepped back, grinning.

Taking a few moments to recover, he finally looked at her. He moved toward her and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her gently. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck. He slowly guided her backwards. When they came to a stop, he ceased the kiss. Then he shoved her back onto the bed. They glared icily at each other as she propped herself up onto her elbows. He joined her on the bed and settled himself between her legs. He paused there, lingering, making her wonder what he was going to do next.

"You're full of shit."

Jericho stood and walked away from her to the center of his room. Lita sat up on her knees on his bed.

"Maybe _you're_ full of shit."

He turned to her angrily. "How about you get out of my room?" His question was more of a demand as he pointed to the door.

"Why are you so mad Jericho? Are you upset that someone else is onto your games? What? Are you afraid?"

Jericho stalked up to her, getting right in her face. "Get out. Now." She wasn't about to let him intimidate her. She showed no signs of fear as she stepped down off the bed and stepped away from him. She halted in the middle of the room.

"Why didn't you hurt me when you had the chance?"

He turned coldly. He knew exactly what she was referring to…that moment in the ring after his match with the Hardys. "I spared you. I could have done anything I wanted to you right there, but I let you go."

Lita was onto him. He was trying to revert back to that asshole Jericho. But it was too late. He'd let his guard down and she'd seen him. "When I first came here, you were one of the first people I met. And you were one of the nicest guys here. You were so kind to me and you went out of your way to help me. What happened to that guy? Where is he?"

Jericho groaned and plopped down on the bed. He rested his head in the palms of his hands. "He died."

Lita shook her head. "No he didn't. I saw some of him tonight."

"So, I guess you think you've got me figured out." He shut his eyes.

"Why did you change?"

"Because of people like you Lita. Because everyone wanted me to do things their way. They wanted me to be who they wanted me to be. They wanted me to live my life for them." He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "So I decided, 'Screw them.' I'll do what I want, how I want. And I'll take out anyone who gets in my way."

She crossed her arms over her chest. Her voice quieted dramatically. "And you think that's better?"

"I'm getting what I want now, aren't I?" He looked at her and she didn't say a word. He exhaled. "So, if you're done playing psychiatrist, you can get the hell out of my room."

Her eyes drifted off of him and she swallowed the lump in her throat. She turned and left him there, alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Dangerous Games  
Author: Shantay  
Email: Lita/Jericho, Jeff Hardy/Trish Stratus, Matt Hardy and Christian  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.  
Distribution: Ask first.  
Rating: R  
Summary: She's a good girl. He's a bad guy. They have every reason in the world not to be together but for some reason they can't stay away from each other. As they get closer, it becomes a struggle to keep it a secret and deal with their two completely separate worlds. They end up playing a dangerous game. Mainly Lita/Jericho…  
Spoilers/Notes: This is set back when all of them were still here (wow, can't believe more than half of them are gone now). Jericho and Christian are still a tag team…the bet storyline never happened. Lita is still managing the Hardys…neither the Kane or Edge storyline has happened…and she isn't even dating Matt for that matter. And in this story, Lita and Jericho didn't know each other before WWE.

Warnings: Language, adult situations

Jericho leaned on the top rope as he watched Christian finish off their opponent. Christian laid him out with the "Unprettier" making quick work of him and getting the one-two-three, much to the partner's dismay. This was their final match before Backlash and it was a good thing that it wasn't such a tough one. Bischoff was really taking it easy on them lately.

Jericho entered the ring then the referee raised their hands in victory. He turned to his partner as the short man left the ring to retrieve their belts. "Okay man. Just six days until Backlash."

"Yeah, we're go--"

Christian's words were cut off as he was suddenly knocked to the ground. Before Jericho could even respond, he felt a hard shot to the back of his head. He fell to the ground, unable to see straight. His whole world was spinning as he struggled to block the blows to his head, chest, abs, legs. He wasn't even sure where he was as he felt himself being lifted. Then he received the move he knew all too well as…the Twist of Fate. Then everything went dark.

Jericho sat hunched over on a table in the locker room. His whole damn head was throbbing so badly he could barely hear Christian's ranting. He held the icepack he'd been given against his neck.

"Those damn Hardys! Sure, when they sneak attack us, it's all good! I can't wait to kick their asses!"

Jericho squeezed his eyes shut. "How about a little less yelling?"

Christian turned to his partner. "You know what? I'm gonna go to the parking lot and blow off some steam."

Good. That would be a few minutes of silence. He kept his head down as he heard his tag team partner leave the room. He looked at his hand. He was probably red all over. This wasn't good. Hopefully he wouldn't be sore for the match on Sunday.

"Oooooo…looks like it hurts."

He looked toward the door. "Oh great. Haven't you heard of knocking?"

Lita stepped inside and closed the door. "Don't be grumpy. I just came to see how you were doing." She smirked as she stepped in front of him. "How does it feel to get a taste of your own medicine?"

He looked up and met her eyes. He dropped down off the table. Then he grabbed her and slammed her back against the lockers, holding her there with his free hand. She gasped at the impact and her eyes read some degree of fear.

"You put them up to this, didn't you?" he asked in a harsh whisper.

"Don't you think that they wanted to kick your ass when they got back anyways? If I wanted to get back at you, I would do it myself," she retorted.

He released her and walked away. "What is with you? A couple of weeks ago, you avoided me like the plague. Now, all of a sudden, you're everywhere I turn."

She wrapped her arms around herself. "Something about you just caught my attention. And as much as I hate to admit it, I'm just intrigued. I kind of wanted to get to know what's behind this Jericho character."

His hand still cradling his neck, he turned to her and observed her with hardened blue eyes. His gaze softened after a few moments as he realized that she was sincere. It was interesting that she referred to him as a character.

"There." He stared at her with confusion as she uttered that word and pointed at him. "That's Chris."

He didn't know what to say as she walked up to him. She looked so innocent in that instant. She fiddled with her fingers like a shy child. "I was just hoping you would let me come over tonight and get to know you better." He could tell she wasn't implying anything dirty by that at all. She was being completely genuine. He stared into her soft hazel eyes. And although he didn't say anything, she must have read the answer in his eyes. She smiled sweetly and left him there in his locker room.

Jericho returned to his original seating on the table, still staring at the door. He had no idea what to think of all of this. She most certainly was full of surprises. And he had to admit, that he was intrigued as well. He was just hoping this wasn't something he was going to end up regretting.

"So, they don't know that you're over here?" Lita shook her head.

"No, they actually don't clock me _every_ hour of the day. Especially not at night, when they think I'm asleep."

Jericho couldn't believe he was actually sitting in his room with Lita, having a civilized conversation. They'd been there for a few hours, just talking. This was completely abnormal. But strangely, he felt comfortable with her. "Don't you think they're really overprotective a lot of the time?"

Lita crossed her legs beneath her in the chair she was sitting on. She looked off and reflected on the guys she'd come to know as her best friends over the past few years. "I mean, they just worry about me a lot. Probably too much sometimes. It's more Matt than Jeff. But what can I say? They do a lot for me."

He nodded a little. "Well, good thing they don't know you're here. I don't think I can take getting my ass kicked twice in a night." She smiled and he returned it.

She loved this side of him. It'd been so long since she'd seen it. She watched as he flinched, grabbing at his neck. She felt a little guilty about the attack by the Hardys earlier. She hadn't told them to do it or anything but she still felt kind of bad about it. "I could give you a massage." He looked at her warily. She sighed. "Trust me. Just let me do it." He gave in finally. She kicked off her shoes and joined him on the bed, kneeling behind him.

Her touch sent chills through him and he closed his eyes as her hands kneaded his neck and shoulders. They stayed there in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. He wondered what she was thinking.

"Didn't you have a girlfriend when I first came here?"

There was his answer. He tensed up a bit. "I don't really want to talk about her."

She wasn't going to push it. "What about you and Christian? How did you guys become friends?"

Jericho knew she wasn't too fond of Christian. But he understood. Christian _had_ given her the "Unprettier" twice in the past. Christian didn't exactly consider Lita to be one of the greatest people in the world either. "We just clicked I guess. We've been friends for a long time. Sometimes I feel like he's the only one who really understands me."

"Even more than your parents?"

He gave a mocking laugh. "Especially more than them."

She hesitated for a second. "You don't get along with them?"

"I haven't talked to them in two years."

His tone was so sad. It was clear that he preferred for things not to be that way. But she was learning how to tread the waters. If she asked why, he just might close up again. So she decided to change the topic slightly. "So, you've pretty much been doing this thing without anyone but Christian for the past few years."

Jericho shrugged. "I guess so." After a few minutes, he straightened up and stated with determination, "But I don't need anyone."

_That's what you say_, Lita thought to herself. He was really struggling to keep those walls up between them. But he didn't seem to realize that he was failing miserably. She'd gotten more information out of him than she'd ever expected. Maybe she would push the envelope a little bit. "It's clear to me that you're really nothing like that guy I see on television every week. So, why do you put on that act?" She tried to sound as gentle and sincere as possible, hoping that maybe he would take the bait.

She could feel him tense up again. "What makes you so sure it's an act?"

"It's just that when I'm here with you now, I feel completely comfortable. I feel like I can trust you…and like you trust me."

He stood from the bed. She bit her lip, thinking she'd blown it. He turned to her and she was almost eye-level with him. "I don't trust anyone."

That statement sent chills through her. But not because he'd said it in a mean way or because she felt afraid or attacked. No, it wasn't anything anyone would expect from him. At that moment she could see his weakness. In those pained blue eyes, she could see fear of betrayal and heartache. He didn't walk out on Raw every week and act like a complete asshole because that was how he really was. He used that as his shield against the world. It was the shell that he hid inside of.

"Well, you can definitely trust me. And I plan to prove that to you."

After a few moments, a genuine smile spread across his face. "Good luck." He turned away from her and went over to the mini-fridge. She couldn't help but smile as well. She watched him as he pulled out two sodas. "Want one?"

"Sure." She sat back down on the bed as he came over to her. She took the soda from him. "Question. What did you think of me when you first met me?"

He plopped down beside her and popped open the top of his soda. "Hmmm…what did I think of you? I thought, 'That's one hot mama.'" He grinned as she hit his arm playfully.

"No, come on. What did you really, _really_ think? This is your chance to shock me."

"Okay, okay. I thought that maybe we could be really good friends one day." He looked at her and she studied him to see if he was being honest.

"Not one thought about getting me into bed?" He shook his head. She seemed to buy it after a couple of moments. "Okay…what about now? What do you think now?"

"You never cease to amaze me. And maybe you're not so bad after all."

"Same here."

They both finished the rest of their soda. Jericho placed his can on the nightstand. Lita looked at the time, realizing that it was beyond too late for them to be up. She couldn't have the Hardys questioning her about why she was so tired the next day.

"We've made a lot of progress here." He looked at her and nodded his agreement. She stood from the bed and walked to the door. She motioned for him to come as well, with which he complied. "I think you were wrong about what you said earlier. You clearly trust me a lot more than you think. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here right now."

He didn't respond but his body language seemed to agree. She reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand. She then pressed a sweet, soft kiss against his lips. He didn't budge as she pulled away, simply watched her. "Goodnight Chris." She turned and exited the room. He closed the door and headed back for his bed.

"Goodnight Lita."

Author's Note: Okay, looks like Lita's broken down Chris somehow. I know you all want to see what's headed for these two lovebirds. But you've gotta review. I need them to keep going. And I would really love to get your opinions. Tell me anything…anything!!


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Dangerous Games  
Author: Shantay  
Email: Lita/Jericho, Jeff Hardy/Trish Stratus, Matt Hardy and Christian  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.  
Distribution: Ask first.  
Rating: R  
Summary: She's a good girl. He's a bad guy. They have every reason in the world not to be together but for some reason they can't stay away from each other. As they get closer, it becomes a struggle to keep it a secret and deal with their two completely separate worlds. They end up playing a dangerous game. Mainly Lita/Jericho…  
Spoilers/Notes: This is set back when all of them were still here (wow, can't believe more than half of them are gone now). Jericho and Christian are still a tag team…the bet storyline never happened. Lita is still managing the Hardys…neither the Kane or Edge storyline has happened…and she isn't even dating Matt for that matter. And in this story, Lita and Jericho didn't know each other before WWE.

Warnings: Language, adult situations

Jericho laced up his boots. He couldn't get Lita off of his mind. It was driving him crazy. He hadn't seen her since that night she came to his room. And it was even worse that he wouldn't be seeing her until his match against the Hardys. How ironic…

Ten minutes until he had to go meet Christian in the gorilla. He stood and did a few stretches. One thing he knew was that he had to get his focus on the match. He couldn't pay any attention to her. It could cost him everything he'd worked for. He had to keep his head in the game. He'd already made the mistake of slipping up once and he wasn't about to let it happen again.

It was strange what was going on between him and Lita. If anyone, she would have been the last person he would have expected to warm up to him. Through the feud with the Hardys, clearly they had not been on the best of terms. But he found himself enjoying her company and becoming fond of their little interactions. It was something he most certainly wouldn't have imagined a couple of weeks ago. But even though he was enjoying his time with her, when it came down to making a decision between her and wrestling, he was going to make the right choice.

He left the locker room with title belt in hand. He heard the Hardy Boys' theme music playing in the distance. As he reached the curtain, Christian's music began to play and he waved him off.

"No Lita. No Lita. No Lita," he mumbled to himself as he waited.

"Good luck man." Jericho jumped as one of the stagehands tapped him on the shoulder. He didn't respond as the man walked off.

He needed to shake this off. Things like that couldn't get to him. He'd worked so hard to win these titles. And he wasn't about to lose them tonight.

As his music hit, he stepped through the curtain and hit his signature pose. He took in the overwhelming chorus of boos that rain down upon him. As always, he could only take that and turn it into the energy he needed to win the match. When he turned around his eyes immediately caught those of the redhead that stood in the ring, between his two opponents.

_No, don't let her get in your head Jericho_. He turned to a fan shouting obscenities and threatened him as he walked arrogantly toward the ring. He walked up the steps and spun around on the apron. He stared out into the sea of angry faces. The faces of people who used to be on his side. He stepped in the ring and approached his partner. Christian started whispering strategy to him as the Hardys slid back into the ring. But Jericho's attention had gone to Lita. He stared at her for a few moments and she stared back, silently. He couldn't read exactly what she was thinking and he knew that was going to bother him the entire match.

He finally pulled his eyes away from her once he heard the sound of the bell. And Matt Hardy looked more than eager to rip him to shreds.

Jericho dropped down from the apron as Christian sent him the signal. They were about to do something to which they had become accustomed. He reached under the ring and pulled out the infamous steel chair. He slid into the ring with the weapon in hand and surveyed the area. Matt Hardy was knocked out in the corner, the referee was laid out on the apron, and Christian had Jeff beaten down in another corner. He tapped the chair on the mat, getting Christian's attention. The other blonde smiled sinisterly as he held the younger Hardy up.

Jericho exhaled heavily as he raised the chair. Not too far away from Christian, he could hear, "No! Please don't do this! Chris, don't do it!" It was her…begging, pleading with him. He gripped the chair legs tighter as he hesitated. She continued to yell to him. He tried not to look at her but he still couldn't move.

"Come on dude! What are you doing?" Christian's voice fought against hers. He saw the look of confusion on his partner's face. And then he looked to her. He could see the desperation in her fiery eyes. And she mouthed to him, "Please Chris. You don't have to do this."

Before he could even make a move, he saw Christian throw Jeff Hardy's limp body to the mat. In a flash, Christian reached over the rope and grabbed two handfuls of Lita's hair, pulling her up onto the apron. She squealed in pain as he forced her into the ring. Jericho dropped the chair. He could hear his own heartbeat. What was he going to do? Better yet, what was Christian planning to do to her?

Lita managed to get out of Christian's grasp. And the second that she did, she reached back and sent a slap across his face that even Jericho felt. When Christian's head snapped back around, his eyes were filled with a rage Jericho had never seen before. Immediately, Jericho stepped up and grabbed Lita by the hair.

"Let me handle this Christian!" Christian yielded unwillingly. Jericho could see that he wanted to get his hands on Lita with every bone in his body. Jericho nodded toward Jeff, who was beginning to stir. Christian immediately went over to meet the younger Hardy, who fought back with revived spirit, sending the two flying to the outside of the ring.

Jericho loosened his grip on Lita's hair enough for her to twist around to face him. Her eyes read shock and hurt. He could see the question in her eyes without her even asking. "What are you doing?"

He whispered loudly, "Trust me." In a swift motion, he grabbed Lita's ankles, sending her flying down to the mat on her back. He turned her over and got into the position for the Walls of Jericho. He didn't lean back far enough to put any real pressure on her back though…just enough to make it look real. Thankfully, he heard Lita playing along.

Suddenly he was knocked off of her. Damn, he'd completely forgotten about Matt Hardy. Jericho struggled to recover but Matt was relentless, not allowing him any breathing time between his blows. It was like dejavu as Matt lifted him off the ground and hit him with a Twist of Fate…for the second week in a row. His entire body went numb as he stared at the ceiling of the arena, which seemed to get farther and farther away. He couldn't even wiggle his finger. Matt covered him and the referee must have been revived by then. All Jericho could hear was the slap of the ref's hand against the mat, right beside his head. One…two…

The last sound that should have been three wasn't that of the referee's hand meeting the canvas. It was the familiar thud of a steel chair meeting a body. Chris shut his eyes tightly as Matt rolled off of him. When he opened them, they focused in on Christian, standing tall above him. Jericho finally regained control over the muscles in his body and brought his hands up to clutch his throbbing head. The next thing he heard was the sounding of the bell…three rings.

Christian left the ring and pulled Jericho out as an infuriated Jeff Hardy was just about to reach them. Jericho's entire body ached. He leaned on Christian who helped him get a safe distance away from the ring. But he was eerily quiet. Usually he would be bragging about how they'd stolen another one. But not this time. The referee ran around the ring with the belts and handed them over reluctantly. Just before they turned to leave, Jericho once again met the eyes of Lita. She was kneeling beside the unconscious Matt and angered Jeff, clutching at her back halfheartedly. And she looked sad. He just wasn't sure if she was sad for the Hardys or him.

"What the hell happened out there?" Christian paced the locker room, with his hands on his hips. Jericho didn't reply. He was seated on the bench, head bowed, hands clasped. This wasn't much of a celebration. "Huh Jericho?" He still didn't speak a word. "Well…Chris?"

Jericho finally lifted his head. Christian never called him by his first name. Was he onto what had been going on between Jericho and Lita the past few weeks? Christian laughed out of disbelief. "Oh, she can call you that but I can't?"

Jericho watched him silently as he recommenced his pacing. "You let her get to you man. That was not you out there. What happened?" As Christian turned to him again, Jericho looked away.

Christian shook his head and raked his hand through his sweat-dampened hair. "Don't you realize that we were _this_ close," he illustrated with his fingers, "to losing the titles? She slipped you up for one moment, and that almost cost us the entire match. I don't know how you let that sneaky bitch get into your head?"

Jericho turned cold eyes onto his tag team partner. "Or maybe we almost lost because we were trying to cheat." Jericho stated each word harshly.

"Not like it was the first time, Mr. Holier-Than-Thou." Jericho sighed as he dropped his head again. "Dude, I don't know what's up with you. But how about you give me a ring when my partner comes back?"

Christian walked to the door. Just before pulling it open, he turned and looked at Jericho, whose head was buried in his hands. He didn't know what exactly was happening to his partner. He'd been acting a little weird the past week or so. And tonight, he'd completely dropped the ball with that hesitation in the ring. Christian was damn sure going to find out what was going on.

Author's Note: Ouch! There's a twist, lol. Where could this take Jericho and Lita? I guess we'll have to wait and see. But we know how Jericho feels about his title. Let me know what you think! I have one more thing to ask of you all. I'm really needing story ideas. So, if you guys could just leave a quick review with ideas you'd be interested in reading, I would love it. You can even suggest ideas with other pairings, but I'm not gonna lie, odds are I'll be biased towards Jericho/Lita. And if any of the ideas just excite me, I'll take it and run with it!


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Dangerous Games  
Author: Shantay  
Email: Lita/Jericho, Jeff Hardy/Trish Stratus, Matt Hardy and Christian  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.  
Distribution: Ask first.  
Rating: R  
Summary: She's a good girl. He's a bad guy. They have every reason in the world not to be together but for some reason they can't stay away from each other. As they get closer, it becomes a struggle to keep it a secret and deal with their two completely separate worlds. They end up playing a dangerous game. Mainly Lita/Jericho…  
Spoilers/Notes: This is set back when all of them were still here (wow, can't believe more than half of them are gone now). Jericho and Christian are still a tag team…the bet storyline never happened. Lita is still managing the Hardys…neither the Kane or Edge storyline has happened…and she isn't even dating Matt for that matter. And in this story, Lita and Jericho didn't know each other before WWE.

Warnings: Language, adult situations

Lita bit down on her lip as she stood in front of the hotel door. Her heart was racing. She hadn't spoken to him since the past Sunday…5 days. There hadn't been a single word. She hadn't even seen him around. But she really couldn't take it anymore. She needed to talk to him. She needed to know what was going on between them now.

She finally found the courage and knocked on the door. She waited a few moments with no answer. She looked at her watch. It was past one in the morning. But that was usually the time she came to his room, so that shouldn't matter. At least that was the time she'd come every day the week before. She knocked once again. She really hoped he wasn't ignoring her.

The door opened eventually and Jericho stood right in the doorway, staring her down. He didn't utter a word. Lita cleared her throat and moved uncomfortably in the awkward silence. "Can we talk?" He shrugged nonchalantly. But she noticed that he didn't move. She pointed inside. "Can I come in?" He continued to eye her for a few more moments, before stepping aside to let her enter.

She stopped a couple feet inside of the room, not feeling welcome any farther inside. She turned to him as he shut the door and leaned against it with his arms folded over his chest. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she opened the conversation, "Look, I just wanted to thank you for helping me out on Sunday."

"Okay." He wasn't going to make this any easier.

"_And_ I wanted to see where we stood." She gestured between the two of them. She couldn't help but be afraid of the answer. He clearly wasn't too happy with her.

"Where we stand," he repeated coolly. "Where should we stand Lita? Do you realize that I almost lost the match trying to help you?"

She saw that one coming. "I understand that Chris. But that entire situation wouldn't have happened if you didn't try to take Jeff out with that chair."

"Lita, this is nothing new to you. Christian and I did that stuff long before you and I ever…started talking."

Lita shifted her jaw uncomfortably. "Okay. Well, I was just trying to help you do the right thing." She crossed her arms over her own chest now.

"Yeah. You were trying to help me do the right thing. You were trying to change me…make me into who you want me to be. Just like everyone else." He pressed his foot against the door as he looked at the ground. He shook his head slowly. She could see just how angry he was at the very notion that she had come in and tried to change him.

"That's bullshit Chris and you know that. I would never try to change you. I came to you from the beginning, accepting you the way you are. But I don't believe that person who steps through the curtain is who you are," she retorted with conviction. "Chris, you don't think you can win a match on your own…without cheating?"

He looked at her angrily. "I do whatever it takes to win Lita. I'm not going to spend all day out there trying to prove something to you or anyone else."

Lita dropped her arms hopelessly. "So what are you trying to say? Are you saying that you wish you had never even saved me from Christian? You wish that you'd just let him do whatever he was going to do to me?"

Jericho looked off and began to shake his leg. He pressed his lips together. She'd backed him into a corner. If she couldn't appeal to him this way, then there was nothing else. "No. I don't wish that. I wouldn't change what I did. But I can prevent it from happening again in the future."

Lita's eyebrows furrowed deeply as she tried to figure out what he meant by that statement. "What are you saying Chris?"

He shrugged toughly. He was trying not to let her phase him. "I'm saying that _this_…this thing between us is a distraction to me. But I can't let it be a distraction anymore."

Her heart sank. "So you don't want to talk to me anymore?" His eyes affirmed. She looked to the ceiling as the tears burned at the back of her eyes. She swallowed the painful knot in her throat. She wasn't even sure why it was getting to her that much…but it was. "Don't you think that's kind of drastic?"

Jericho didn't answer, instead looking to the ground and tightening the cross in which he held his arms.

"Chris, what do I mean to you?"

"Oh, come on—"

"No. Answer me. I want _Chris_ to answer me. Forget about everything that you're afraid of. Forget about wrestling and the title. Just tell me how you feel about me."

He still wouldn't say anything. She could feel her heart slowly breaking into a million pieces. She wiped at the teardrop that slid from the corner of her eye. "Okay, well I'll tell you what you mean to me. I know we haven't been talking for that long, but I've known you for almost six years now. Once I got past this whole act that you put on, everything just clicked for me. When we spent that first night together, just talking about everything, I felt like I finally knew _you_. I could finally understand who you were. And I like you for who you are. And I feel like there's so much more between us that we have to discover. You've been my every thought for the past month or so…when I wanted you to be and when I really didn't want you to be. And at this point, I can't…I don't wanna go back. I can't just cut you out of my life because I care about you so much. And I'm not willing to give up on _this_ before it really even starts."

A couple more tears fell as she spilled her heart to him. She hadn't planned on telling him how she was feeling…at least not this soon. But the thought of losing him really hurt her. Maybe it was crazy to feel that way about him but she couldn't help it. But maybe it was pointless…he didn't even seem to feel the same way. She blew out a long breath of air that she'd been holding. He was still looking at the ground, still not responding. And she couldn't even read what he was thinking.

She headed for the door slowly, each step harder than the one before. As she reached for the doorknob, he intercepted and grabbed her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. He shifted so that he was directly in front of her. She looked up into his crystal blue eyes, shocked by how soft they were at that moment.

"If you're gonna leave, you're gonna have to get through me first." She couldn't help but smile as he reached up and cupped her cheek. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. "I really appreciate that you put up with me when I'm such an asshole. You're the first person who's ever really tried to understand me. Sometimes it's just hard for me to believe that that's real. Besides, two years ago I told myself that I was never gonna do this with anyone again." She opened her eyes to meet his sincere ones. He pressed his forehead against hers. "I think about you all the time too but I hate to admit it," he smiled warmly. "I'm willing to take a big risk here. I wanna keep working on this, even though it goes against everything I swore to myself. But I'm willing to do it because you're special to me. And you're so different from anyone I've ever known. I know there's gonna be a lot of setbacks and things will get tough, but just promise me that you won't give up on me."

"I promise you babe, I'm not going anywhere."

With that, he leaned in and kissed her. Sure, he'd kissed her plenty of times before, but none were quite like this. This actually felt like a first kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his around her waist in return. A warm sensation ran throughout her body. This was what she'd been waiting for. She'd so badly wanted for him to open up to her and trust her.

As the kiss ended, she smiled at him. "Gosh, if someone had told me we would be doing _this_ three weeks ago, I might have slapped them." He laughed. "So, I guess this makes us official."

He nodded. It was everything he'd been trying to avoid. But he had a good feeling about this one. "I need one more thing from you."

"Okay."

"We can't tell anyone about us."

"Agreed," she replied with certainty. "I won't tell Matt and Jeff and you won't tell Christian…at least not for now."

"_Especially_ not right now. Christian would kill me if he knew this was why everything happened on Sunday the way it did." Jericho pressed his head back against the door.

"Hey, I'd die too. If Matt and Jeff knew that you and I were together…oh boy. I mean they hate you."

"No love lost there Lita."

Lita sighed. Well, some things would never change. "Was Christian really that mad at you about what happened? I mean you guys won anyways."

"Yeah but we were so close to losing. I really messed up."

She hummed softly as she took in that information. Then she leaned in and softly kissed his neck. "You know what? It's going to be so hard to be out there at ringside with you and have to act like I don't care what happens to you."

"But that's what we have to do. We can't let on that anything is going on between us. And do me a favor…don't get involved in any more matches."

"Do _me_ a favor. Don't try to take out one of my boys with a steel chair." He looked down at her.

"Okay. But anything else goes." She rolled her eyes. Then she pressed a kiss against his lips.

"Okay babe. It's bedtime. What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Autographs, working out, driving to the next hotel."

"Same time, same place then?" He nodded and they kissed again before she left.

"What have I gotten myself into?" He smiled to himself before heading to bed.

Author's Note: Here's another one. I'm trying to get out as much of these stories as I can before I go back to school next week. Please review and let me know what you guys think. Anything at all!


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Dangerous Games  
Author: Shantay  
Email: Lita/Jericho, Jeff Hardy/Trish Stratus, Matt Hardy and Christian  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.  
Distribution: Ask first.  
Rating: R  
Summary: She's a good girl. He's a bad guy. They have every reason in the world not to be together but for some reason they can't stay away from each other. As they get closer, it becomes a struggle to keep it a secret and deal with their two completely separate worlds. They end up playing a dangerous game. Mainly Lita/Jericho…  
Spoilers/Notes: This is set back when all of them were still here (wow, can't believe more than half of them are gone now). Jericho and Christian are still a tag team…the bet storyline never happened. Lita is still managing the Hardys…neither the Kane or Edge storyline has happened…and she isn't even dating Matt for that matter. And in this story, Lita and Jericho didn't know each other before WWE.

Warnings: Language, adult situations

"I have to say, you have just been beaming lately." Trish placed her hand on her hip as she joined her best friend in the lobby. Lita smiled.

"Why do you say that?" Even as she spoke the words, Lita couldn't help but blush. "Come on. We have a shopping trip to go on."

Trish reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her to a couch in the lobby. "Not so fast Missy. It's been a while since we've really talked. I feel like there's something going on that I don't know about. Spill it."

Lita couldn't lose the smile if she tried. "Couldn't I just be happy? Maybe nothing's going on. Now come on. Let's go." She tried to stand again only to be pulled down by Trish again.

"No way. Now I know you are definitely hiding something. I'm your best friend. Tell me what it is." The blonde quickly scanned the room and leaned toward Lita, her voice dramatically quieted, "Is there _somebody_?"

Lita sighed. She would love to tell Trish the truth. She practically told her everything. But she had just promised Chris. "Trish, I don't have anything to tell."

Trish pointed at her. "You're not even looking at me. You're lying! Why won't you tell me Lita? I would tell you."

Lita instantly felt guilty. It was really killing her not to say anything. Technically, she'd only promised Chris that she wouldn't tell Matt and Jeff. But then again, they'd said 'anyone' right before that. But he really didn't have to know. She turned toward Trish. "Okay, okay--"

"Ugh." Lita followed Trish's line of sight to Christian, standing across the lobby. He was hitting on the receptionist. "I'm sorry Lita. You know I just can't stand the sight of that guy."

"Tell me about it."

Trish continued to watch the man with a look of disgust. "I really can't believe what he was about to do to you in that ring. He's just pathetic. I feel bad for that receptionist." She finally broke her eyes away from him, turning to Lita again. "And you know what else? It was bad enough that Christian was going to do whatever he was about to do, but then Jericho…I can't believe he put you in the Walls of Jericho."

"Well, about that, it actually—it didn't really hurt."

Trish's eyebrows furrowed deeply. She grabbed Lita's hand. "Lita, you don't have to defend him. I know how you've felt about this whole "Chris gone bad" thing. But we have to accept the things he's done. Chris is just a complete asshole now."

Lita's heart sank. She squeezed Trish's hand. "I know what you think Trish. But you don't understand. I--" She stopped speaking as she saw her boyfriend enter the lobby. He walked over to Christian.

"Those two are really just something else. Lita, you really are a much better person than me. How you can have any kind of sympathy for him after all of this…wow." When Trish looked at her, Lita forced a half-smile. Trish put her hand over her heart, immediately regretting everything she'd said. "Oh sweetie, I ruined your entire story. What were you going to tell me?"

_Just perfect_, Lita thought. "I just wanted to say that you are just imagining things. There's nothing that I'm not telling you."

"Are you sure?"

There was her window. And she was about to close it. "Yes." They both stood from the couch.

Trish shook her head. "Okay. I was so sure that you were seeing someone. You always act like this when you have a new guy. I really must be losing my touch." She started walking toward the door. She turned around and realized that Lita hadn't moved. "Honey, are you okay? Let's go."

Lita raked her hand through her hair. "I'll meet you at the car. I realized that I left my cellphone in my room."

"Alright." Trish walked toward to the door. She sighed as she stopped just short of the door. She reached into her purse and pulled out just what she'd been looking for. She clutched it in her hand. "Right. The cellphone you asked me to hold." Trish looked back before heading out the door.

Lita watched Christian and Chris interacting at the desk. This was so hard. As badly as she wanted to tell Trish, she would never understand. Trish could never understand what Lita saw in Chris. She would never see the guy that Lita knew.

He turned around and looked at her, while Christian's attention was on the young brunette receptionist, who seemed to be relishing it. Chris had seen Lita when he walked into the lobby. But they couldn't interact at all in public. He must have noticed the distressed look on her face. He mouthed to her, "Are you okay?"

She nodded subtly. She lifted her hand to her head and made a sign to him that she would call him later. She couldn't risk anyone noticing them there. Besides, she didn't want to keep Trish waiting for too long.

* * *

Lita practically threw herself into Chris's arms the second he opened the door. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," he said as he kissed the top of her head. "What was going on earlier?"

She sat down on his bed, as she raked her fingers through her hair in frustration. "I was talking to Trish earlier. And she kept asking me all these questions about whether I was seeing someone."

"Did you tell her?" He crossed his arms over his chest. She watched him. He wasn't mad, at least not at the moment. But she could tell he was hoping that she hadn't broken their agreement.

"No, I didn't tell her. But I really wanted to. Chris, I just realized today how hard this is going to be for us. Will we ever be able to tell anyone about us? Will our friends ever support us being together?"

He stared at her silently. He'd never really thought that far ahead. He hadn't imagined they'd be entering a long-term relationship. He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe not. But does that matter?"

"Well, for now it doesn't. But what about the day we get tired of hiding this? What if we decide to move in together or…get married?" She stopped as she noticed the look on his face. "Don't freak out on me. I was just saying. I know we're not close to any of those points. I just…you know."

Chris kneeled in front of her and gently caressed her knees comfortingly. "I know. And I know this is hard. But it's just a challenge we'll have to deal with to be together. I'm willing to do it, aren't you?" She nodded. "We'll figure this out one day. But for now, let's enjoy this."

"Yeah, let's do that." She finally smiled for the first time since her trip with Trish.

"You know what? You've turned me into such a wuss." She laughed as she leaned in and kissed him. "That was really good. But, seriously, I feel like a little bit less of a man."

"Well, I know what can fix that." Lita stroked his chin with her finger flirtatiously. He watched her strut over to his bed. She crawled onto it and patted the spot next to her.

He smirked sexily as he went over to join her. He sat down beside her and simply watched her. She smiled back at him, saying, "So…"

"So?"

She crossed her legs beneath her and looked up at him shyly. "You know…"

"I do know." He leaned in a stroked her bare legs. "But I don't think you really want to do that right now." The redhead's dark eyebrows furrowed deeply as he uttered those words.

"But I do." Her bashful demeanor suddenly disappeared as she scooted in closer to him. She caressed the inside of his thigh and kissed along his shoulder and neck. She pushed him back slowly onto the bed and straddled his hips. Then she recommenced kissing his neck.

Chris placed his hands on her hips, which she wiggled in response. He laughed. "Okay, maybe you do." She lifted her head and nodded with a beautiful smile on her face. She placed a sweet kiss on his lips. "Alright." He flipped them over and pinned her hands above her head. "We can do it this way, or…" He let go of her, sitting back down on his side of the bed.

She sat up, eyeing him inquisitively. "Or what?"

"Or maybe, you want me to pick you up one day. And you'll look all gorgeous because you'll be dressed up, and I'll be dressed up. And then I'll take you off to this beautiful cabin just for the two of us. Then we'll go inside, and there'll be all of these rose petals everywhere. Then I'll take you to the bathroom and we'll take a bath together. We can even do it with bubbles if you want. And then, we'll go to the bedroom. There'll be candles and more rose petals everywhere. I'll lay you down on the bed and do whatever you want…all night long."

Lita had a sparkle in her eyes. He wasn't quite sure if it was a tear or not. "Wow." For a little while, that was all she could manage to say. They stared at each other in that beautiful silence for what seemed like forever. "I do want that." She playfully hit his arm. "Who knew Chris Jericho could be so romantic?"

"It was just a random thought. Nothing special." He flashed that charming smile once again.

"Yeah right." She lay back down, resting her hand in the palm of her hand. Chris joined her. "You amaze me."

"Same here."

"I think all of this is just so crazy. I feel like…technically, we're not moving fast. But emotionally, I fall harder and harder for you everyday. It's kinda scary." She tried to make that last statement sound like a joke, but he could hear the fear in her voice.

"I don't blame you. I'd be scared too, especially since I am who I am. But trust me hun, you've broken down those walls. I don't know how you did or how you did it so fast, but you definitely did. And with every ounce of strength in my body, I'm gonna do whatever I can to make sure you don't get hurt."

"I broke down the walls of Jericho," she sang playfully as she poked at him, causing him to laugh. "So, how about I sleep here tonight?"

"Are you sure that'll be safe? The Hardys won't go looking for you in the morning?"

"It'll be fine. I'll make sure I wake up early enough to get back before they even start harassing me. But tomorrow's an off-day. So I should have a bit of time." She scooted in closer to him. "But I really want to sleep here tonight. I just want to be in your arms and have you there with me all night. Is that too much to ask?"

Her closeness drove him insane. It was hard to resist what she'd offered earlier because he really just wanted to take her right there. But the moment had to be perfect. He just wanted to handle this relationship the right way. He would be crazy not to admit that he was a little worried about what might happen, or more importantly, what he might do if she was right there, in bed with him. He exhaled. "No, that's not too much to ask."

Chris stood and lifted her off of the bed, placing her gently on the floor. He threw back the covers and motioned towards the crisp, white hotel sheets. "After you."

The redhead smiled and settled herself in the bed. Her boyfriend immediately joined her. She closed her eyes as she nestled against him and he wrapped his arm around her protectively. They laid there in a comfortable silence. Chris looked down at the woman lying in his arms. He couldn't believe this moment. He'd completely gone against his instincts for her. Please don't let me regret this, he thought to himself. He kissed the top of her head before shutting off the light.

Author's Note: The action will pick up again in the next chapter. Now our lovebirds have had some peaceful moments to themselves, it looks like trouble is headed their way. Please review!!


	9. Chapter 9

**Special Author's Note:**** It has been an extremely long time since I've written fan fiction. I happened to stumble upon and reread some of my old stories a few weeks back. I then reread some old comments and emails from readers and I was reinspired to write. I made sure to write a few chapters to make sure it wasn't just a random whim. So this is the first of a few chapters in the continuation in one of my many ancient stories that never got finished. I'm sure you all will have to go back and reread the first 8 chapters to even remember what this was about. Thank you so much to those who read all those years ago (and may still be reading) and to those of you who may be new. **

**P.S. I may even have a new story in the works. :-D**

**Chapter Nine**

Chris watched as his partner packed his bag in silence. He would need a butcher knife to slice through the tension in the air. Christian had barely spoken to him since the match. Just a few polite words here and there.

"Got any big plans post-Raw?" Chris tried his best to clear the air and get his tag team partner talking.

"Nope." Christian didn't even look up as he continued to place his street clothes back into his bag.

This was out of hand. Chris knew he needed to just face the issue head on and address what was clearly driving a wedge between them. "Look Christian, I know you're still mad at me for the match-"

"Let's not talk about it."

Chris stood and crossed the room. Stopping next to Christian, he got his attention by waving his hand in front of his face. "Or _let's_ talk about it. There's no way we can stay the champions, if we're not seeing eye to eye."

Christian seemed to concede as he plopped down on the bench beside his bag. "Go on."

Chris sighed and leaned against the wall. "I know I screwed up. I took my eye off the ball for a few seconds that almost cost us the entire match. I am sorry for that. All I can do is promise you that it will never happen again."

Finally looking at his partner, Christian stated, "Ok. I believe you. I accept your apology."

Releasing a sigh of relief this time, Chris looked to his friend. "Thanks man."

"You just have to tell me what happened out there. What was it that made you hesitate like that?"

Was Christian aware of why Chris didn't hit Jeff with that chair? Chris eyed his partner to see just how much he knew. "I don't know man. I thought I saw the referee coming to and I hesitated for a second. I didn't think that I should hit him."

"Hmm." Christian stood and recommenced his packing. Chris wasn't sure if Christian believed him or not. "I thought it might have had something to do with Lita yelling in the corner."

All of Chris's muscles tightened at those words. Was Christian being sarcastic? Was he actually onto him? Chris had no clue. Before he had a chance to question it, there was a knock at the door.

Christian crossed the room to open the door. For the first time, Chris was relieved to see his boss enter the room. Saved by the bell.

"Jericho and Christian. Just the guys I needed to see. You guys barely made it out with those belts last week, huh?"

Just as quickly as it came, his relief was gone. Chris rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "What do you want Bischoff?"

Bischoff grinned smugly. "Well due to the last match ending in disqualification, the Hardys are owed another rematch of course. But I decided to make it interesting. You boys will face the Hardys in a couple of weeks at the Royal Rumble. Any questions?"

Both blondes shook their heads. They had both known this was coming. At least they would have a big pay-per-view match come out of it. Bischoff headed toward the door. Just before exiting, he paused and turned back to the tag team champions. "Oh, one more thing. It will be a no-disqualification match."

Christian and Chris shared a knowing look as the door shut behind their boss. They were in for one hell of a fight.

* * *

Lita couldn't hide the smile on her face as she thought of her boyfriend. All she could think about was their first night spent together, being wrapped in his arms. He didn't let her go once. He hadn't tried to roll her away or push her away. There was nothing like the feeling she had when she opened her eyes in the morning to see his sleeping face. He was so beautiful. Peacefully slumbering, with a firm embrace around her.

"What are you smiling about over there?" Lita's eyes shot in the direction of Jeff Hardy who was stretching on the other side of the room. All of Team Xtreme had matches during Raw that night. They routinely stretched together beforehand. Oddly, the eldest Hardy was missing.

"Nothing really. I'm just in a good mood."

"Oh yeah? Did you have a good night?"

Lita leaned over and grasped her foot, stretching out her leg. "I guess so." She laughed at the question.

"I was just wondering if that was why you were in such a good mood."

The redhead sat up to watch the younger Hardy. What was he getting at? Jeff continued to stretch as normal. He didn't even glance at her. She couldn't tell if he was up to something or not.

"Well, I had a good night's sleep. But nothing special. Maybe that's why I'm in a good mood. Nothing like getting a lot of rest, right?"

Jeff returned to an upright position as well. "You're right about that. It's funny though. I definitely saw you up bright and early this morning, headed back to your room. In your pajamas of course."

Her jaw dropped. He _was_ up to something. And on to her. Her stunned look was met by a mischievous grin. She quickly caught herself and regained her composure.

"Are you spying on people these days or something? Is that the new hobby?"

"No. I was up for an early morning workout. I happened to be walking down the hall at the same time that you were returning. Guess you didn't notice me." Jeff could not hide the amusement in his voice.

Refusing to be completely outted, Lita offered, "Well I went to sleep pretty early last night, remember? So I woke up really early. And I just went for a walk."

"In your pajamas."

"They're not pajamas. It was a freaking t-shirt and shorts."

"That you usually sleep in."

"Is it illegal to walk in them Sherlock Holmes?!" She was definitely flustered by the impromptu inquisition. This only added to Jeff's amusement. He was lucky she had nothing nearby to throw at him.

The door swung open as Matt Hardy nearly bounced into the room. This was just what Lita needed. Hopefully, Jeff didn't open his mouth about anything they had just been discussing. She shot him a warning glare. Jeff threw up his hands, yielding to her. He was clearly trying to stifle his laughter. Matt seemed oblivious to all of it.

"I just got great news."

"Well, please do share." Jeff playfully mocked his older brother. It didn't faze the darker-haired Hardy at all.

"I just spoke to Bischoff. We have a rematch against Edge and Christian at the Royal Rumble. And it's a no-disqualification match. There's no way they're going to weasel their way out this one." Jeff nearly jumped up from his place on the floor.

"Dude, that's awesome." He went over to his older brother to give him a congratulatory handshake.

Lita was motionless on the floor. For some reason, she felt this heavy pressure in her chest. More than a month ago she would have been elated by that news. Her boys were getting their well-deserved shot at the titles again. The titles they'd worked for their entire careers, dreamed of all of their lives. But her mind drifted to Chris. This was the reason he felt so alone in his life. The championship had become a focal point for him. His wrestling career was what he felt his life centered around. Losing that belt would devastate him. Losing the match would devastate the Hardys as well. This was a 'lose-lose' situation for her. Emotionally, she was in the middle. She deeply cared for the men on both sides.

"Lita." She was snapped out of her trance. Forcing a smile, she brought her eyes to the older Hardy. "What are you still doing down there? Aren't you excited?"

"I'm happy for you guys." She genuinely meant that. She rose to her feet to embrace the brothers. She was glad that they were getting another shot at their dream. But she was terrified by the outcome.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

"Do you ever wonder why nothing comes on TV on days or at times that most people are actually off of work?"

Chris clicked off the TV and tossed the remote away, leaving them in darkness. Lita smiled at his annoyance. Running her hand gently up his arm, she responded, "Maybe it's because they expect us to be doing other things." She met his eyes with a mischievous smirk. He chuckled lightly.

"Maybe so." He released a deep breath and pressed his head against the headboard. Chris had seemed tense for the past couple of days…since finding out about the rematch against the Hardys. Lita would be crazy to deny that it was stressing her out as well. Maybe she should just say what was on both of their minds.

"Are you nervous about facing the Hardys in two weeks?" She could feel his muscles tighten under her touch. She'd hit the nail on the head.

"Yes. This is the most intense rivalry I've been involved in. Your boys have been our toughest competition yet. I can't slip up even a little bit."

A tinge of guilt pulsed through her body. She knew he was referencing the last match where he was forced to save her from Christian. He'd almost lost the match… because of her. "You mean like the last time when you almost lost because of me?"

He looked at her and sighed. "The more I think about it. The harder it's going to be to have you at ringside. Thinking about what could happen to you puts me on edge. And more selfishly, I don't know that I can hear you cheering on the Hardys instead of me."

Those words brought her into an upright position. The vulnerability in his voice, in his eyes made her want to crumble. "I know baby. It's hard for me too. I really wish it didn't have to be this way. I wish I knew how to change it." She would give anything to change the situation they were in. They knew from the moment it began that it would be difficult to keep their relationship a secret. Hell, it was difficult to even be in a relationship considering their alignments. But it seemed that neither of them imagined it being this challenging.

"Well, here's something. How about you don't come out at all?"

Her eyebrows furrowed as she eyed his silhouette. She hadn't expected those words at all. He was returning her gaze, waiting for her response.

"Chris, I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"I accompany them to all of their matches. It would drive me insane to be in the back and not be out there to support. I mean, don't you think they would think something is up if I suddenly don't want to come out."

"Not if you just tell them that you think it would be a better idea to avoid what happened last time _happening_ again."

Was he serious? Lita couldn't help the incredulous scoff that escaped her lips. She couldn't sit in the back for such an important match. She needed to be there to make sure that her boys were alright. All of her boys, Chris included.

"Chris, there is always a chance of that happening. I need to be there to make sure everyone is ok."

"How does your presence there change anything?"

Those words were like a dagger to her heart. Did he realize what he was saying to her? She searched his eyes in the stillness of the room to see if she could get a read of anything at all. His face was stoic, seemingly oblivious to the pain he was causing her. "If my presence doesn't change anything, then you shouldn't give a damn whether I'm out there or not."

He gave a slight flinch, taken aback by her words. "I do give a damn. That's why we're talking about this. I'm just saying that I don't think you being out there will prevent any of us from getting hurt. But staying in the back can prevent you from getting hurt. Unless…"

Her eyes narrowed. "Unless what?"

"You plan to change the outcome in some way?"

Where was all of this coming from? Did he not trust her? "Why would you say that?"

He shrugged as he responded, "I just don't understand why you want to be out there so badly. There can't be any reason other than…"

"What? Wanting to fuck up your match? Wanting to help the Hardys win? When have I done that before?"

He stared at her, in silence. His gaze spoke a thousand words. She scoffed in disbelief. "You think I tried to cost you the match the last time." Her words were more of a revelation to herself. She looked around the room, although she wasn't sure what she was searching for. Maybe she just couldn't bear to look at him and see the accusation in his eyes. She fought off the stinging of tears. She refused to let one fall.

"I think you should stay in the back."

"Fine!" She wiped at the stubborn tear that escaped. Turning heated eyes on him, she spat out, "Are you satisfied?"

He didn't respond, just watched her in the darkness. Her chest rose with each breath she took. Each angered breath. She felt rage coursing through her body. Overwhelming feelings of hurt and pain.

He didn't trust her.

She shut her eyes as trembles overtook her body. For the first time, she felt the distrust he always spoke to her of. It would never go away. He would always question her motives. Always question her feelings for him. What could she possibly do to prove that he could trust her? What could she say? She clenched her fists, as she felt a second wave of hurt, pain, and anger. Opening her eyes, she hit him in the shoulder. A few more tears found their release and fell freely down her cheeks. Why wouldn't he try to believe in her? Why wouldn't he try to trust her? What more could she do?

Lita brought her hand up again, but this time was met by his. She struggled to break free of his grip around her wrist. Tears and emotions were overtaking her. She attempted again with her other hand, which he also caught. She was practically sobbing as he held her prisoner. But she wouldn't give up. With ragged breaths, she struggled against his grasp. She found herself on her back with her hands pinned above her head. He covered her body with his. And as much as she twisted and writhed, she couldn't break free.

Her body stilled. The tears stopped. Her breathing calmed. In the darkness, her eyes locked with those of her boyfriend. She still could not read his expression. But she was powerless as he held her hands above her. Blinking the remaining tears away, she reinitiated eye contact as the distance closed between them. He stopped mere inches away from her. And she could finally see it. The same hurt and pain that she was feeling. The same anger. And something else she hadn't even recognized that she was also feeling… Fear.

She sucked in a large breath of air just before his mouth crushed hers. Moans escaped her as his mouth assaulted hers. Her hands, finally free, entangled in his hair and tightly grasped a chunk. She pulled to turn his head so that she could return the offense.

Chris suddenly broke free and sat back on his legs. He yanked her up by her tank-top and easily lifted her so that she was straddling him. Before she could process, he had her pinned back down to the bed, his lips once again on hers. He grinded his hips into her, showing no mercy. The thin fabric of his briefs and her boy-shorts left little to the imagination. Becoming more and more aroused, she sighed into his mouth as he moved against her. Running her hands down his back, she lifted his shirt and dug her nails into his lower back, causing him to hiss.

Lifting himself from her, Chris wasted no time in removing her shorts. He tossed them to the floor and resettled between her legs. This time, he eyed her carefully, his chest rising with deep breaths. She sucked in her swollen bottom lip as she waited for his next move. His eyes were still enflamed with passion. Passion due to frustration, irritation, yet desire and yearning as well. He traced the outline of her mouth with his index finger, her lips parting slightly in response. Slowly, he inserted the digit into the opening. She allowed its entry, enclosing it with her mouth. She swirled her tongue around his finger and grazed it with her teeth as he slid it out.

His eyes darkened as he brought that same finger down and ran it along her womanhood. He repeated the motion with his middle finger. Lita bit down on her lip as she felt him slip his finger inside of her. One finger. Then two. He eased in and out. Slowly. In and out. She closed her eyes as he went deeper with each entry.

In an instant, he had her hands pinned again with his free hand. He settled over her and increased the pace and intensity of each thrust. Her body shuddered as he relentlessly drove his fingers in and out of her. He was in control. She was defenseless against the onslaught he released on her. Her back arched off of the bed as he quickened his pace mercilessly. Everything she'd felt before; the ire, the anguish, the frustration; combined with the passion and the intensity of his dominance to create a heat within her. She was weak to it. She couldn't fight the sensations that grew deep within her. She was pulsating, losing herself to the overwhelming feelings. Her eyes shut tightly as she squirmed. Chris wouldn't yield. Instead, he quickened his pace, driving deeper and deeper. Just as she felt herself about to lose control, he stopped, sliding his fingers out of her.

Falling back down to the bed, she opened her eyes. Lita was confused by the emotions that had overtaken her. She was so upset with him. Madder than she had ever been. Yet she could not want him more. She strongly desired for him to finish. She watched helplessly, as Chris released her hands and stood from the bed. Crossing the room, he disappeared into the bathroom.

She was alone in the still of the bedroom. Soon, the sound of water running from the showerhead was the only thing that accompanied her. "Son of a bitch," Lita muttered to herself. She pulled her legs underneath her and exhaled. Chris was such a puzzle to her. Just when she thought she had him figured out, he threw her for a loop. Letting her head fall back, she lost herself to sound of the rushing water drops. If only she knew what he was thinking. What was going on in his head?

A beam of light entered the room as the bathroom door creaked open. She watched as he emerged from the bathroom, towel around his waist, hair damp, draping his face and shoulders. The light soon vanished and he settled into a chair by the door. He was deep in thought, yet to acknowledge her presence.

"Not gonna finish what you started?" Her voice had a mixture of sarcasm and hope.

"I don't want to hurt you." Lita thought of all that his answer implied. He was angrier than she'd realized. So angry that he might not be able to help taking it out on her. Physically and emotionally.

"So you're going to pull away from me? Not talk about it? You have nothing to say at all?" He slightly shook his head, still refusing to make eye contact with her.

There it was again. That tug at her heartstrings. She couldn't bear much more that night. No more fighting. She slid off of the bed and pulled on her shorts. There was no way she could stay there with him pretending she didn't exist. On the inside, she wanted to die. She couldn't let him see that. She pulled on the sweatpants and hoodie she'd arrived in. Through all of this, he didn't budge from his seat. Not even a flinch. She pulled on her sneakers and headed for the door. Willing herself to look back, she saw that he had not moved. He wasn't going to stop her. She flung the door open and escaped before she broke down.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Lita looked at her cellphone. A week and a half. Not one call or text. She sighed as she shoved the device back into her pocket. She spun around and collided with a body.

"Whoa there!" Clutching her heart from the scare, Lita's eyes met those of Jeff Hardy. His smile turned into a half-frown as he noticed the look on her face. "Hey Li, what's wrong?"

She shook her head. But she couldn't fight the tears that sprang to her eyes. She had been holding the emotions in for a week and a half. Unable to discuss what she'd been going through with anyone, she could not help the overflow of emotions. She didn't resist as the younger Hardy took hold of her arm and guided her into an empty locker room. Locking the door behind them, he embraced her as she released her tears.

Lita clutched him tightly, this man who was like her younger brother. She knew she could trust him. It felt good to finally let go of the feelings that had overwhelmed her for so many days. She'd had to bear it in silence. She cried in his arms until she felt that she could regain control. The flow of tears began to slow and her breathing evened. She found comfort in his arms as he caressed her back.

Easing away, she sent him a smile of gratitude and sat on a bench across the locker room. The Hardy followed and sat beside her. "What's going on Li?" Lita knew that they had barely seen each other in the past couple of weeks. She began to travel alone, making up whatever kind of excuse came to mind. It had not been the easiest thing to hide her despair. Maybe it was time to come clean. If anything, Jeff was the calmer brother. He always tried to understand her and listen to her. She trusted him with everything.

With a deep sigh, Lita confessed, "I've had a secret for the past couple of months."

Jeff encouraged her to continue with a look. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I have been involved in a secret relationship." She searched his eyes before continuing, "With Chris Jericho."

Jeff's eyes enlarged at the admission. "Wow." The Hardy ran his hand through his multi-colored hair as he searched for the words.

"I can only imagine what you must be thinking. You're probably mad at me. You're probably disgusted." To her surprise, Jeff's expression softened with concern.

"How did it happen?"

Lita laughed. She was unsure of that herself. She thought back to the beginning of the whirlwind affair. "When you guys were out for those weeks after he and Christian attacked you in that match, I was so angry. I just wanted to know why. I started thinking back to how Chris used to be. It made me even madder. I felt like I had to understand why he was so different." She sighed as the memories flooded her mind. "I ended up having a few interactions with him and I started to see this side of him that I hadn't seen in so long. It was like the old Chris. And I felt like I could understand him. He started to tell me things and I understood why he'd changed."

Lita glanced up briefly enough to see the amused look of disbelief on Jeff's face. He knew how to make her laugh. She playfully hit him in the arm. "I'm serious Jeff. He's not that awful person that enters the ring every week. There's so much more to it. When I'm with him, he makes me laugh and smile. He can be so gentle and patient and understanding. It was shocking to me at first but…" She trailed off as the sadness of the memories hit her. She missed him.

Jeff must have been able to sense this as he grabbed her hand in his. "So what happened?"

"We had this awful fight. He didn't want me to accompany you guys to the ring for the match on Sunday. He didn't want me to come out at all. He didn't want me to get hurt. And he didn't think he could take hearing me cheer for you guys. I told him I couldn't sit back here. You know how you guys always have to argue with me about staying back here." Jeff nodded his agreement. "Well, it became this big argument. And I realized that he doesn't really trust me. He thinks that I tried to cost them the last match. I guess he's worried about me doing it again. We haven't talked since then." She shrugged. "I guess we're over."

Jeff winced with sympathy as tears reemerged in her eyes. Running his thumb along her hand, he asked, "You really care about him, don't you?"

She nodded.

"That's a tough one Li. Well, you know how I feel about the guy. But, more importantly, you know how I feel about you. I hate to see you in pain. Have you tried to talk to him?"

She shook her head weakly. "It was so bad Jeff. I didn't know what to say or do. I still don't. I haven't seen him that way since we started talking." Lita released a deep breath. "But I'm absolutely relieved that I was able to tell you. It's been killing me to hold all of this in. Thank you so much for being her for me and for being so understanding." She wrapped her arms around the younger Hardy. He rubbed her back soothingly.

"Of course Li. You can tell me anything."

"Yeah, you. Not Matt."

They both pulled back as the older Hardy brother came to mind. Matt definitely would not take the news as well as Jeff. He felt nothing but disdain for Chris Jericho and Christian. He would be outraged to know that Lita had anything to do with Chris Jericho.

"Gosh Li. How are you going to tell Matt?"

"I don't know Jeff. He will kill me. There's no way he'll understand. He'll be so mad."

"Let's think about this for a few days. I definitely don't think you should say anything before the match."

Lita nodded her compliance. "I absolutely agree." A ring broke their moment. Jeff pulled out his phone and showed it to the redhead.

"Speak of the devil…" Pressing the silent button, he stated, "Let's go find him so he doesn't get worried."

If only Matt would take the news with the same ease. There was no way she could bear losing two people she cared about.

* * *

She fidgeted with the soda can in her hand. Her nerves had her on edge. There were about ten minutes left until the match was scheduled to go on. She wasn't sure that she even wanted to watch. There was so much excitement in the air for the Royal Rumble. No one was more excited than the Hardys. But she just wanted to curl up into a tight ball.

Needing an excuse to get some air, she'd told the Hardys that she was going to grab a can of soda. She just made sure to walk to the soda machine on the opposite side of the arena. She lifted her eyes for seemingly the first time during her long walk and froze in her place.

Mere feet away, slowing in his approach as well, was Chris Jericho. Her boyfriend? Her ex-boyfriend? She wasn't sure. This was the first time they had encountered each other in two weeks. His gold belt was cinched around his waist. He was ready for action.

Lita tried desperately to calm her ragged breathing. Her heart felt as though it were going to pound of her chest. Chris Jericho stopped just short of her. She couldn't tell if he was as nervous as she was. One thing was for sure. He was just as surprised to see her.

"Hey." His tone was soft. Whatever anger was there the last time she'd seen him seemed to have dissipated.

"Hi." Her eyes drifted to her feet, as she shifted nervously. Willing herself to look at him, Lita lifted her head. "Good luck in your match tonight."

"Thanks."

There didn't seem to be much left to say. But, for some reason, neither of them made an effort to move. Deep down, she was grateful. She wasn't ready to leave him. Two weeks without him had felt like an eternity. She just wished she knew what to say to make him stay a little while longer. She ran a shaky hand through her long red hair. As it fell back to her side, Chris reached out and grasped it in his. And she could just melt as they just stood there, in a newly comfortable silence, while he caressed her hand. This is exactly what she needed. She just wanted to know that he still cared.

"Lita, I-"

"There you are!"

Both of their heads snapped in the direction of the stagehand that came running down the hall. Lita's heart sank as Chris dropped her hand. She understood why but she would give anything to have that moment last just a little while longer.

"Jericho, we've been looking for you. We need you in position in the gorilla. Your match is going to begin in less than five minutes." The stagehand jogged back down the hallway. Lita returned her gaze to Chris Jericho. He was flustered. Clearly whatever he had to say was going to have to wait.

"I guess I have to go." Chris offered a small smile. Lita had no choice but to do the same. The distance that had disappeared mere minutes ago had returned. She didn't know what to say. As he made his way around her, she could do nothing but watch as he disappeared down the hallway. She turned and ran back to the Team Xtreme locker room.

* * *

"Jeff Hardy is bleeding profusely. King, he's not even moving. Christian just did a number on him with that chair."

Lita couldn't even sit. Pacing the room, she was nearly pulling her hair out as she continuously ran her fingers through the strands. This was why she hated sitting in the back. She had so much nervous energy running through her. She just wanted to make sure that Jeff was fine. Christian was sick. No-disqualification or not, there was no need for him to attack Jeff like that.

A wave of disgust passed through her as she watched Christian pick up the bloody chair he'd previously tossed aside and approach the younger Hardy who was laying, helplessly, in the corner. Matt and Chris were fighting outside of the ring, oblivious to what was occurring inside. Christian stalked over to Jeff. Lita could tell by the look in his eyes that he had little interest in making a cover and ending the match. He had something much more devious in mind.

Without a second thought, she took off, leaving the locker room. Her legs carried her down the halls, past other wrestlers and staff members. She needed to help Jeff. He needed her. She couldn't let Christian follow through with whatever he was thinking.

She blew through the gorilla, ignoring the calls being made to her. As she burst through the curtain, she was unaware of the deafening roar that met her as she made the long haul down the ramp to the ring. All she could see was Jeff, who now lay with his head placed on a chair in the middle of the ring. Christian towered above him a chair high above his head. He was about to finish Jeff off with a 'con-chair-to.' In the state Jeff was in, there was no telling if he would recover from that chair shot.

Sliding under the ropes, Lita leapt up to grab onto the chair, just before Christian was about to deliver that final blow. The tall blonde staggered slightly before turning around to face Lita with a shocked look. The shock faded as a darkness overtook his expression. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Her heart pounded as she took a couple of steps back from him. Christian stalked forward. A gasp escaped her as her back met the ropes. There was nowhere to go. The sneer grew wider as he reached forward and yanked on her hair. Lita cried out as the force of his grab caused her to stumble forward.

"Why can't you just mind your business you little bitch?"

Trying her hardest to loosen his pull on her hair with her hands, she shouted back, "You are sick Christian. Let me go!"

"I'm going to enjoy this so much. You've had this coming for a long time."

She screamed as Christian forcefully pushed her head down between his legs. She felt herself being flipped up until she was settled on his shoulders. He was going to powerbomb her. She spotted Matt Hardy squirming in pain outside of the ring. It looked as though he had been tossed into the announce table. Christian began to turn. Oh God, was he going to powerbomb her on that chair? Shutting her eyes to shoot up a brief prayer, she opened them to meet the eyes of an alarmed Chris Jericho.

Just as Christian pulled her up to send her down to the mat, Chris ducked down and ran his shoulder into the back of his partner's knee. Christian's cry of pain was loud as he fell to his knees, releasing his grip on her. She fell to the mat and scooted away as fast as she could. She watched Chris who was returning to his feet and seemed to be in a panic. Christian regained his composure and had soon returned to his feet.

Lita could not believe the scene before her. The look of bewilderment on Christian's face turned to outrage. She couldn't make out the words as Christian shoved his partner in the chest. Chris seemed to be awakening from his own state of shock, as he tried to explain. It wasn't good enough for Christian, whose fury only seemed to grow. Lita's eyes traveled to his balled fist just as it came up to meet his partner's face with great force. Her hands shot to her face in disbelief. Chris fell to corner, clutching his jaw. Just as he recovered and began to approach his partner, he was taken out with a sickening thud. Lita jolted forward as Chris fell to the mat, knocked out, and rolled out of the ring.

Another thud. Christian was coiled up in the middle the ring. The metal chair hit the mat. Matt Hardy stood triumphantly over Christian. The cheers from the crowd grew to a roar as Matt lifted the blonde Canadian and set him up for his signature move. In mere seconds, he'd planted Christian with a Twist of Fate. The referee slid in place for the cover. One. Two. Three.

"Your winners and new WWE Tag Team Champions… The Hardy Boyz!"

Matt was elated as the referee lifted his hand in victory. Fortunately, Jeff had begun to stir. Breaking free of her shock, Lita crawled over to help Jeff. Matt soon joined.

"We did it bro!"

Jeff gave a weak smile as he was helped to his feet. The referee met the trio with the title belts. The look on their faces was one she'd longed to see since they began their hunt for the titles.

"It's time to celebrate dude. Let's get out of here."

As they exited the ring, her eyes shot to the blonde man who began to stir outside of the ring. She watched as he pulled himself onto the apron. Her body went numb as they locked eyes. The despair in his eyes made her want to die. It was a look she would never forget.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

The cork of the champagne bottle went flying across the room.

"I bought this earlier today. I knew we'd need it." Matt began to pour some glasses. He passed one to his younger brother, who'd returned from getting stitches, just in time for the end of the pay-per-view.

"Gosh, I wonder if I should even drink with this pounding headache I have."

"One won't hurt you. Hell, it might even help you." Both brothers laughed. "And here's one for you Li." Both sets of eyes turned to the forlorn redhead, who was lost in a trance. "Lita."

Her eyes snapped to him, as she suddenly became aware of his words. She stood from her seat. Just as she began to make her way across the room, the locker room door burst open.

Chris Jericho stopped for a brief moment before his eyes landed on his intended target. He powered his way across the room until he stood face-to-face with the petrified redhead. Matt Hardy began to charge at the man who had just intruded on their celebration, but was stopped by his brother.

"Jeff, what are you doing?! We need to help Lita!"

"It's ok Matt. She'll be ok." The look in Jeff's eyes was enough to at least momentarily halt the Hardy, who returned his gaze to the other two occupants of the locker room. Chris's fists were clenched, his body nearly shaking with rage. But he didn't lift a hand to the redhead in front of him.

"What the hell was that Lita?!"

She struggled to find the words. She trembled in the presence of this man who seemed to be overtaken by fury. Her heart was racing and she felt as though she could barely breathe.

"You planned that didn't you? That was your plan all along. Everything we went through. Everything you said to me. It was your plan all along."

"No! It wasn't!" Even she was shocked by the words that left her. She could no longer hold back the tears.

"You knew that I would try to protect you. I told you to stay back here and you had to come out there." Although his voice was calmer, his body was still shaking.

"I had to help Jeff. He was going to hurt Jeff." The tears continued to flow uncontrollably. How could she make him believe? How could she get him to see that she was telling the truth?

"It's wrestling Lita. People get hurt!"

"I know but-"

"You're a liar. All of this was a lie. You always had a plan. They put you up to this, didn't they?" Chris pointed forcefully at the other two men in the room. Lita glanced briefly in their direction, her vision clouded with tears. She shook her head, pleading with Chris. She reached out to him and he jerked away from her, breaking her heart.

"Don't you fucking touch me. I've lost everything because of you. Everything I worked for. I lost my title. The last friend I had." Her flow of tears turned into harsh sobs that racked her body. "You used everything I told you against me. I'm the idiot though. I guess you won the game. That's what all of this was right?"

"No. God no." She placed an unsteady hand over her heart. She wasn't sure how she was still even standing or how much more of this she could take.

He stepped closer to her, so close that she could feel the heat emanating from his body. "I don't want anything to do with you ever again. You stay away from me. Don't call me. Don't talk to me when you see me. We are done."

The sobs grew harsher. Her face was red with anguish, matching the enraged red of his skin. "Oh God." She felt like crumbling right there. When Chris turned away from her and left the locker room, she fell to her knees, no longer able to support her weight. She buried her face in her hands as sorrowful moans left her.

Matt looked at his brother in shock. Jeff gave him a knowing look before rushing over to Lita's side and pulling her into his arms.

* * *

"Hey guys, she finally stopped crying. I convinced her to take a bath. I guess she needs some alone time."

"Thanks Trish." She joined the boys in the living room. A movie that no one was really paying attention to played on the screen. The three of them were brought together out of concern for the dejected redhead.

"I think you guys really should go celebrate your win. You know Lita would want that. I'll stay here with her and keep you updated."

"Please. Go out with this dude and the pretty little stitches in his head?" Matt did his best to lighten the mood. Jeff swatted at him. "Besides, there's no celebrating without Lita. She's a part of our team. We just want to make sure she's okay."

The tiny blonde shook her head. She was still reeling from what she'd seen during the Royal Rumble earlier and then the phone call she'd received from Jeff Hardy. It was too much for her to process. "I just can't believe I didn't know any of this was going on."

"I mean none of us really knew. She just told Jeff a few days ago."

Trish sucked her teeth as a memory flashed across her mind. "I think she tried to tell me a few weeks ago. But I started ranting about Chris like an idiot."

"Who wouldn't rant about that asshole?" Matt couldn't keep the disdain from etching his face.

"Dude." Jeff tried to calm his brother.

"It's true. Look how he had her crying in there. I don't know what she ever saw in him. How did he get to her?"

"I don't think it's that black and white Matt. Did you see what he did for her out there? I was watching it in my dressing room. He attacked his own partner for her. Christian was going to powerbomb her on that chair." Trish wasn't only trying to reason with Matt, but make sense of the entire scenario in her mind.

Jeff added on, "And you heard what happened in our locker room. Jericho seemed genuinely hurt. He thinks Lita betrayed him."

"Lita would never do that," Matt asserted.

"Well, we know that. But the point is I think Jericho actually cares about her. Dare I say…loves her. Or loved her. I don't know." Jeff sat back, leaning into the cushion of the sofa. The entire situation made his head throb even harder than the chair shots from earlier.

"Guys, I've never seen her like this. It's heartbreaking." Trish imitated her words by placing her own hand over her heart as she crossed her legs in the loveseat she sat in.

"I mean really guys. Don't talk about me like I'm not here." All eyes shot to the redhead who stood in the doorway, hair damp, eyes swollen, face weary. She gave a half-hearted smile before plopping down on the couch between the Hardy brothers.

Matt placed a comforting hand on her thigh. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm making it." She lifted heavy eyes to meet his. "You're not mad at me."

"No Lita. I'm just concerned about you. I want you to be okay."

Grateful, she laid her head on his shoulder. She was lucky to have such great friends. But her mind couldn't help but drift to Chris. He didn't have friends to help him through what he was going through.

"I know this isn't exactly the Chris Jericho fan club. But you guys are being amazing about trying to understand how I'm feeling."

Jeff rose from his seat. "I think we all could use a glass of champagne. No?" He went into the kitchen area of the hotel suite awarded to the champions.

Trish leaned forward in her chair. "Lita, what are you going to do now?"

The redhead shrugged despondently. "What can I do?"

There was a heavy silence in the room.

"Do you love him Li?" The older Hardy's voice filled her ear.

"Yes."

A prolonged sigh preceded his next words. "Well our dad always used to say, 'You don't give up on someone you love.'"

Lita lifted her head and gave her friend an incredulous look. He offered a genuine smile. She began to beam before throwing her arms around him. Pulling back, she asked, "Even if the person I love is Chris Jericho?"

Matt rolled his eyes. "Yes, even if for some God-forsaken reason you love Chris Jericho."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

_One month later…_

Chris wrapped protective tape around his wrists. One time. Two time. Three times. He had a big one-on-one match against Randy Orton later that night on Raw. Despite the disaster at the Royal Rumble, things actually seemed to be looking up for him. If he defeated Randy Orton, he would continue on in a tournament that had the two winners set to face each other at WrestleMania for the Intercontinental Title. His wrestling career, though slightly derailed, seemed to be back on track.

Yet he still felt incomplete. Christian refused to speak to him. That friendship was irretrievably broken to say the least. Christian had been the only person he could confide in for the last few years. At least until…

He threw down the roll of tape. Every time he thought of her, he felt that familiar tightness in his chest. He hated the hold she had on him. She was the reason for all of this. The reason Christian was gone. The reason his tag team titles were gone. But he still longed for her. He still missed her. And it drove him crazy.

He picked up the roll of tape and his day clothes and made his way over to the locker. As he stuffed his belongings inside, he heard the click of the door, followed by a lock. Stepping back from the locker, he looked in the direction of the door.

There she stood. The woman who still haunted his dreams, his nightmares, his every thought. Her red hair was curly and cascaded over her shoulders. Her make-up was flawless. She stood there in a black crop-top and black jeans, ready for the show. She was more beautiful than anything he had ever seen.

They'd managed not to cross paths since the Royal Rumble. He didn't see her anywhere but staff meetings. Besides that, there was no interaction. Now here they were, alone in the locker room. She leaned against the door she had just locked. He could only imagine what was on her mind.

"What do you want?"

"You."

Chris scoffed at that response before continuing to organize his belongings in the locker.

"Chris, I need to talk to you."

"We have nothing to say to each other Lita." Although he didn't intend to, he slammed the locker door shut before going over to a table by the wall. He refused to let her back in. She was not to be trusted.

"What are you afraid of Chris? Why can't you hear me out?"

He sighed in exasperation before sliding onto the table. He shut his eyes as he pressed his head against the wall.

"I never betrayed you. I never lied to you. I meant everything I said to you."

He could sense her getting closer to him. But he refused to open his eyes.

"Everyday, I thought about what you did for me. How you protected me. And I kept asking myself, 'Why did he do that? Why would he risk his match for me?' I know how much you love wrestling. I know how important it was-is for you to have the title. So there's only one explanation."

She was standing in front of him. He swallowed the nervous lump in his throat. It had been so long since they were this close to each other. He could smell her scent, that scent that surprised him so when he first got to know her. She was standing so close that she barely missed making physical contact with him.

"You love me Chris."

His eyes sprang open. She had his attention now.

* * *

Lita mustered everything within her to keep her strong front. She couldn't show any weakness. Finally, he was making eye contact with her. She was going to put everything on the line.

"You love me Chris." She repeated the words with confidence and a hint of defiance. She was not willing to throw in the towel just yet. She was going to get him to admit that he still loved her, still wanted her and still believed in them.

"The games don't stop for you huh?" Chris shifted to move from the table but she blocked him. He stilled as his eyebrows furrowed.

"This is _not_ a game. Not anymore. This may have started as that. And it was definitely two-sided. But it's over. For both of us." Chris leaned over, placing his hands on the edge of the table. Lita stepped forward, standing between his parted legs. His body tensed as she did so.

"Chris, you love me. And I love you. I'm in love with you. That's not something that just goes away. It's not something you can fight or pretend doesn't exist. I'm not willing to give up on that. And I don't think you are either."

Chris stared at her. His facial expression didn't change. He didn't say a word. Nothing drove her crazier than his silence. He was giving her nothing. But she came prepared for this. Lita placed her hands on his knees and ran them up his thighs, never breaking eye contact with him. He just watched her, not flinching, not reacting. As her hands reached his upper thighs, she made her way inside. Mere inches away from his groin, he reached down and forcefully grabbed her hands, lifting them up. She jumped at the action.

"Don't." His voice was harsh and unwavering. She couldn't fight the wave of defeat that washed over her. "Get the hell out of here."

Lita's hands fell to her side. She began to turn away but something stopped her. Spinning back around, she shoved him in the chest with an overpowering force. His eyes enlarged, caught off-guard. "I am not leaving here. You are not going to push me away again."

Chris threw his head back as he inhaled deeply. Was he trying to calm himself? Was he trying to resist her? All she wanted was a reaction. Anything but having him shut down on her again. She pushed him again. His nostrils flared.

"Come on Chris. Come on." She was almost pleading with him. Begging him to give her something. Begging him not to give up. She gave him another good push. His right hand jerked up, balling into a fist. A glimpse of frustration. It instantly fell back down. He was trying his hardest to resist giving her any reaction. Lita was determined to win this fight, however.

Her mind drifted back to the fight they had in the weeks before the Royal Rumble. The impassioned argument that nearly led to passionate lovemaking before he pulled away. He suddenly stopped and distanced himself from her. And she couldn't forget the words he stated as he sat in that chair, in the dark.

_'I don't want to hurt you.'_

He suppressed his feelings because he didn't want to hurt her. And suddenly it clicked. He was hurt about the events that had occurred the night of the Rumble, but more than anything, he was afraid. He was afraid of his feelings for her. He'd seen how far those feelings could go and he was afraid to let himself go there. He didn't trust her, but more importantly he didn't trust himself. He was unsure he could make the right choice about who to allow into his life. Maybe she could teach him not to be afraid. Maybe if she showed him that she trusted him, he would, in turn, trust her. It may have been a long-shot, but she was willing to take the chance.

"You said you didn't want to hurt me. And I think I know what you meant. You were afraid that if you let your emotions show, if you gave into your feelings, I could end up hurt. You don't trust yourself Chris. All of the people that have left your life… deep down, you're worried that it's not them, it's you."

Chris slowly let his head fall until he was able to eye her inquisitively. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You're doing what you usually do. When things get too intense or too real, you push people away. This is how you cope. You push us all away."

"So now you've got me all figured out?"

"Yeah, I do." Lita knew she was onto something because she had his full attention again. He was talking. "You're not going to push me away. That's my choice to make. If I feel like you're not good enough for me, I will make that decision. You will not make that decision for me, you control freak."

A laugh escaped him. But this wasn't a condescending laugh, rather an amazed one. Perhaps he was amazed by her persistence and her determination. Perhaps he was shocked that she was willing to call him out. "So when did you work on this psychoanalysis?"

She was determined. There was no way he was going to push her away. No matter what he tried. The silence, the laughter…none of it was going to break her. "Tell me something Chris. Can you really sit here and tell me that you don't love me? That you don't want me?"

The smirk faded from his. A tiny victory. She was chipping away. The answer was there in his eyes. It was everything that she wanted to see. Everything she knew and believed in. What had started out as a vicious war game between two enemies became much more than either of them could have ever imagined. They always did say that love and hate were two sides of the same coin.

Lita stepped in, nearly closing the distance. Chris's guard had dropped and it was time for her to take a risk. Reaching up, she caressed his stubbly face with her fingers. She silently rejoiced when he did not pull away.

"All of this is so much more than what happened at the Royal Rumble. It's more than you thinking I betrayed you. I don't think you think that at all. I _think_ that moment brought all of your fears back. It reminded you of how deep we've gotten into this situation. And there's no turning back." She paused, if only to see if he was still with her. He watched her silently.

"I know that I can't say anything to assure you that I'm all in this with you. I can just prove it to you with my actions. And I promise to work as hard as I can to show you that I am here for you because I am so in love with you." With those words, Lita's eyes dropped briefly to his lips. Those lips she'd longed to taste for weeks. She began to close the distance, meeting his now warm blue eyes. As their lips pressed together, she relished in the fact that he hadn't pulled away. Tingles rushed through her stomach. It was astonishing that her legs still held her up. Just on the cusp of deepening the kiss, Chris grasped her waist and gently pushed her back.

"I can't do this."

Her heart sank at those words. She didn't have enough time to gather her thoughts before he slid off of the table and exited the locker room. Her head fell back as she released a long sigh. There was her answer. At the very least, she'd given her shot and had laid everything on the table. The next step was to figure out how she could possibly get over him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

A grunt escaped her as her gym bag slipped down her shoulder once more. The tiniest thing could send her over the edge at this point. Her gym bag seemed determined to be that tiny thing.

Roughly pushing her hair behind her ear, Lita walked briskly into through the automatic sliding doors that led into the hotel lobby. She was still reeling from her heavy locker room encounter with Chris Jericho. Added on top of that was the loss she suffered to Molly Holly immediately afterwards.

Really, all Lita wanted to do at this point was escape to her hotel room, sink into her bed and hide away from the world. She was fortunate enough to have the next day off and she would take full advantage of it.

Reaching the center of the lobby, she finally lifted her head. Her eyes landed on Jericho, leaning on his elbow, deeply involved in conversation with a tall blonde receptionist. Chris appeared to say something that sent the blonde into a fits of giggles, as she brought her hand up to cover her face. That familiar smug grin spread across Chris's lips. A surge of jealousy rushed through Lita's body. She instinctively clenched her fists as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

_Let it go Lita, _she convinced herself. _He's not yours anymore._

Lita marched over to the desk and dropped her bag, startling the two flirts. Both of their heads snapped in her direction. "I need to pick up my room key." She refused to acknowledge the shocked look on his face. He couldn't even wait three hours to find the next girl to flirt with. It was no longer her concern. It couldn't be.

The blonde couldn't help the slight sneer that crossed her face as she gathered Lita's information and proceeded to process the room key. If only she knew what Lita could do to her. The redhead knew it wasn't even worth her time. Besides, she couldn't concentrate as she felt the piercing glare she received from her right. Chris hadn't moved, spoken, or taken his eyes off of her yet.

"Here you go." The blonde dismissed her with a phony smile, passing her the room key. Lita returned the fake grin, taking her room key. When she turned, her eyes locked with those of Chris Jericho. She couldn't read his expression. There they were, neither one able to move. After an eternity, Lita willed herself to break eye contact. They were done. There was no need for any more self-torture. She headed for the elevator and did not look back.

* * *

_"Chris, what are you doing?" She couldn't help the giggle that fleeted through her lips._

_He had this goofy look on his face as he tiptoed inside of the room and closed the door behind him. Eyeing him with mock reprimand, she shot up from her seat._

_"What if Matt and Jeff catch you in here?" The lock clicked. He stepped closer to her. Her arms crossed over her chest. That was her shield from the devious look on his face. He was up to no good. Or all good. However you wanted to look at it._

_"Well, isn't that the fun part?" He reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her into his chest. She giggled more as they spun and her back met the wall. Pressing his palms against the wall, he enclosed her body with his. She loved being this close. There was that childish grin. She just couldn't help it. And this was how he got to her._

_"It won't be so fun if they come in here and kick your ass."_

_"I'd love to see them try," he teased. "Besides, you and I both know that they'll be a while. I just saw them head in with Vince." _

_"So you're a stalker now?"_

_"Professional." His warm lips pressed into the skin on her neck. She could melt right there. The excitement of his touch blended with the thrill of possibly being caught in the locker room. It would, by no means, be good. But that was all a part of this game…this dangerous game that they loved to play._

_Her head pressed back into the wall. She relaxed and allowed her body to be his. It was incredible how much this man could excite her. Despite the fact that they had yet to reach the next level of their relationship. Her body yearned for him, all of him. _

_She entangled her hands in his hair as he trailed kisses up her cheek, finally meeting her lips. Her head twisted so that their mouths could better connect. Freeing one hand, she allowed it to explore his body and travel its way down to his groin. He pushed himself against her palm, smiling against her lips._

_"That's all for you baby. Soon and very soon."_

_"God, I hope so. You know, you should seriously go before the boys come back."_

_"I just want one more kiss."_

_"That's what you always say." He crushed his lips to hers and his hand ran along her waist. Soothing. Caressing. Loving._

* * *

Fingers. Strong but soft. They kneaded into her side. Walked along her abdomen. Then traced circles along her hipbone. Such a soothing touch. Gentle. Caressing…

Her eyes flew open. She felt an overwhelming presence.

She jumped as she turned around to meet alarmed blue eyes that pierced through the darkness. Her voice caught in her throat. "It's ok Li. It's just me."

Chris Jericho sat there on her bed, doing his best attempt to calm her. So many questions swirled in her head. What was he doing there? How had he gotten into her hotel room? How long had he been there? _Why_ was he there? She couldn't muster up any words. Instead, she turned back around and allowed the bed to swallow her up again, hoping she could hide from the man behind her.

"I'm sorry I scared you. I can explain."

He certainly had a lot of explaining to do. But she wasn't going to turn around and look at him. Mostly out of fear that she would break down for the first time since their earlier encounter.

"Where do I begin? I guess you want to know how I got in here." She could hear the slightest shaking in his voice. Was he nervous? "When you walked into the lobby, you saw me flirting with that receptionist. I know you did because I saw it in your eyes. The anger. But, um, it was really a means to an end. I needed a way to talk to you. I knew that after the way things went earlier, there was probably a snowball's chance in hell that I'd be able to get you to talk to me. So I had to do what I had to do. I needed to get your room key. I mean, I didn't get to where I am today by being a boy scout."

She wasn't sure if he could see the reactions on her face. He did all of that to get into her room? Why was he so sure she wouldn't have let him in? Chris Jericho insecure? That was one for the books. He was right about one thing: he definitely wasn't a boy scout. And that might be just what she found hardest to resist.

"Needless to say, I got the room key. And I'm here now so I can tell you how I feel about you. I'm not eloquent or suave or debonair. All I can say is that when I walked out of that locker room, I thought I was making the right decision. But each step got harder and harder and you were invading my every thought Lita. It had been a freaking month and a half since we'd been together and, still, I couldn't seem to just walk away from you or let you go." The bed shifted with his weight. He was closer, practically leaning over her. His presence swallowed her. She felt powerless as he continued.

"It hit me like a ton of bricks. Everything you were saying was true. I'm a fucking coward Li. I would rather walk away from you than admit that you mean everything to me. I built all of these walls for all of these years. And in mere months, you managed to break them down. I've been so afraid to let you in. Or anyone in for that matter. There's just something about you. Something so special. I'd be a fool to let it go. And I know that now. I finally know that."

A tear slid out of the corner of each eye, meeting their ends on the pillow. Yet, she still could not move. Only listen.

"The way you fought for me…I finally understood. You are here for me. No matter what. And I owe it to you to finally do the same. If you'll let me. I want to be here for you, the way you have been for me. You're all that I need. I don't feel so empty anymore. And I just want to be as much of that for you as I can be. I know you don't need it like I do. But I hope you'll just let me care for you and try to thank you for everything you've done for me. I have a lot of making up to do. Please let me... Let me show you what you mean to me."

He sounded desperate. His need for her was evident. His need for forgiveness was evident. The conviction was there. There was absolutely no denying that. And he said he wasn't eloquent. Could have had her fooled.

He gently, almost cautiously, placed his hand on her hip. She shut her eyes tightly and inhaled. She was still afraid to move or to speak. Really, all she wanted to do was feel. Feel his hand as it slid from her hip down her thigh. Feel as his gentle touch turned into a mild squeeze. All she could hear was his ragged breathing. She wondered how long he would wait and try to coax her.

Two thuds against the floor. It was the sound of his shoes dropping. Time was up.

His belt buckle jingled as he released it and pulled it from his waist, dropping it to the floor. More shifting in the bed as she heard what must have been his pants falling to the floor. She was frozen in place as she awaited his next move. Could he sense how badly she wanted him, despite everything they'd been through? Could he hear how heavily she was breathing, although she tried to control it? Could he hear how loudly and rapidly her heart was beating? She loved him so much, in spite of herself. And she couldn't want him more.

She kept her eyes shut as he rolled her over, straddling her. What was she afraid of?

"Look at me Lita."

Powerless. She was so weak to him. Obeying, she met his heated blue eyes and realized her fears. She could see all of the emotion and…love? Was it love? Was this real? It was so hard to believe. The remaining tears she'd been protecting spilled out. He didn't react. Didn't judge. She was so emotionally drained. Was she ready to take this risk again?

_Fuck it_. She threw all of her insecurities out the window as she lifted her head to meet his lips in a rough kiss. She wrapped his golden locks around her fingers and fell back to the bed with him in her embrace. He lowered his body to hers and she could feel _him_, hard and erect, throbbing against her. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, wanting him even closer.

Their bodies melded together as his mouth trailed sweet kisses down her chin and neck. After dwelling there for a couple of minutes, he brought his lips to her ear. "Please tell me if you want me to stop."

Her eyes met his. He wanted her trust. And she was going to give it to him. She nodded her consent.

Having her approval, Chris lifted from her and grabbed the hem of her shirt. She lifted slightly so that he could pull it over her head. Her eyes followed his as they slowly trailed down her torso and reached their destination on her shorts. Wasting no time, he hooked his fingers into them, swiftly pulling them down her legs. He sat back on his heels and took in the sight of her, laying there in just her black lace underwear. Her body was his to do whatever he pleased. She greatly anticipated what that entailed.

Swiftly, he moved in and ran his tongue along the outline of her underwear. That move alone caused all the blood to rush down to that very sensitive region. It was as though he was claiming his territory before he conquered it. And now she was throbbing, needing him even more, not wanting to wait any longer than they already had.

Slowly, he trailed his tongue around the hem to the part directly below her belly button. Agonizingly slow. Torture had to be worse than this. His eyes met hers as he paused. Yes, he knew exactly what he was doing. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes. He continued to watch her as his tongue traveled down the front of her panties. Down. Slowly. Then back up to his target and he pressed his lips into her. His tongue peaked out and swirled…and swirled…and swirled…

"Damnit Chris."

With a fistful of his collar in her hand, Lita pulled him back up. His lips were on hers as she swiftly went to work, pushing his boxers down as far as they would go. He picked up her cue to remove her panties as she thrust her hips into him. Moving briefly, only to completely discard both of their underwear, he pressed his forehead against hers and gazed into her eyes. Both were breathless, overwhelmed by the moment and their strong desire for each other. But she knew what he wanted. Just one last affirmation. Confirmation that he could have her. Mind, body, heart and soul.

"Yes Chris. I want this. I love you." She wasn't even sure how the words left her lips because she could barely control her breathing. But she had given him exactly what he needed. Settling above her, he pressed the tip of his penis into her opening. He pushed in slowly, never breaking eye contact with her. Her hands clutched at his back and head as he filled her. Completely. They were complete.

She was giving up all control to him. The thought of it thrilled her. Just as quickly as it had built, the fear had all but dissipated. Chris pulled back slowly, nearly pulling out, then pressed all the way back into her in one swift movement. A tiny, surprised yelp escaped her as he did that. One more time. Slowly out, then back in. Then again. He'd created an agonizing rhythm, pushing against her walls with each entry. It was perfectly teasing and satisfying. And with each move, the air was pushed out of her lungs.

When he rose onto his hands, she ran her hands along his chest, as he completely owned her body. There was a tight ball of energy beginning to build in her core. He switched up the rhythm slightly but still controlled it enough to cause a slow build of excitement. She could barely think. Her thoughts just barely came together to clumsily remove his shirt. She wanted to feel every bit of him.

Slowing, he leaned in and whispered, "Turn over."

No problem. He'd earned her total obedience. Lita flipped onto her stomach. His light touch as he pushed her hair off of her back and neck sent chills throughout her body. She could do nothing but relish the moment while he unfastened her bra and eased it off each arm. The bra soon joined the rest of the garments of clothing in a heap on the floor.

His lips decorated her neck and shoulder with soft kisses. He could be so tender. Instantly, she was lost in his touch. Her mind drifted as a small smile formed on her lips.

Suddenly, tender Chris was replaced by aggressive Chris. Strong hands gripped her hips and pulled her to him. He thrust into her, eliciting a loud moan. His pace was relentless. Merciless. There was barely time to breathe between each thrust. If she thought he couldn't go deeper than before, she was learning the hard way. The pillow fell victim to her hands which clawed at the fabric.

Soon, his body was pressed against hers, continuing the assault. Skin on skin. She could feel it building within her. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold on. Months of anticipation and yearning mixed with the passion of the last 24 hours had her on the verge of exploding. It certainly didn't help as he sank his teeth into the skin on her shoulder. "Oh Chris."

That must have been a dead giveaway. His fingers found their way around her body to her swollen clitoris. He went to work, seemingly determined to finish her off. Her body arched into his as he stimulated her. There were too many sensations for her to resist. Heart racing, body beginning to tremble, Lita buried her face in the pillow, fully aware of the inevitable. With his free hand, Chris gripped the same pillow and snatched it from beneath her.

"I want to hear you."

Those words sent her over the edge. Moaning loudly, she finally gave into the intense climax that had been building within her like the greatest crescendo. Her moans and shakes must have triggered her dominant lover as his release soon followed.

There they lay in silence. At peace. Neither one moved. This was comfortable. How it should always be. His arm snaked beneath hers, intertwining their fingers. She could lay there forever. Everything was so perfect. At last.

"How are you?" Lita moaned her approval in response, prompting a chuckle from Chris. Kissing the back of her neck once more, Chris turned them so that she nestled into him with her head on his chest. The pair of them could barely keep their eyes open.

"I didn't know you had all of that in you Mr. Jericho."

"Funny because I actually took it easy on you." Although she could hear the jest in his voice, she couldn't help but believe he was half serious. Amazing that there was a time that she found his smugness so grating. Rightfully so…he used it to drive people away. Now, it was so endearing.

"So…are we boyfriend and girlfriend again?" His words interrupted her train of thought.

"Absolutely." A yawn.

"I'm glad the thought bores you so much." Another yawn.

"Seems to bore you too." She looked at him with a smirk on her face. Her smirk soon faded as she caught the look in his eyes.

"What is it?" He shook his head but she could see that he wanted to say something. They'd had such a good night, it wasn't worth ruining the moment to push the issue. She lay back against his chest.

Her eyelids felt so heavy. "I love you so much," she managed before she drifted off into a peaceful slumber.


End file.
